Authorities said the move was taken after assessing the overall security situation and have opted to shift to online learning until further notice. Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province has closed three universities in recent weeks due to “security concerns,” an official told AFP on Tuesday, as separatist attacks mount in the region.
Two of the provincial capital Quetta’s universities were directed to shut down for an “indefinite period” last week, and on Tuesday, a third was told to shift to online learning, a provincial administration official explained to AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment to the media. The decision was taken after considering the overall security situation,” the official added
It was decided to shift to virtual learning until further notice for security reasons.” The reopening of the campuses, which will affect thousands of students, will be decided after the Muslim festival of Eid, two weeks from now, the official said. Security in the provincial capital has been tightened, with more security personnel on the streets and extra checkpoints established around the city after the recent escalation of separatist violence.
Ethnic Baloch separatists last week ambushed a train carrying 450 passengers, leading to a two-day siege in which dozens were killed. And on Sunday, at least five paramilitaries were killed in a car-borne suicide bombing. The attacks were attributed to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of several separatist movements that blame foreigners for exploiting natural resources in Balochistan along the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
