Pakistani schools closed over security concerns

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The education department of southeast Pakistan's Sindh province has announced to close all private and government schools in the province for a week, while universities are to be closed on Oct. 21 only, according to local TV channel reports.

Pakistani university students gather and demonstrate after the suicide blast at Islamic International University in Islamabad on Oct. 20, 2009. Two blasts occurred in a university in Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad Tuesday,  leaving at least six people dead and 21 others injured.(Xinhua Photo)

Sindh education department took this decision due to security concerns in backdrop of ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan tribal area, the private channel GEO News reported.

The announcement was made by chief secretary of Sindh after twin blasts at International Islamic University Islamabad in the country 's capital Tuesday, which killed at least six people and injured 21 others.

The private schools and academic institutions in Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, were closed Monday for three days because of terror threats in the wake of the military operations in South Waziristan.

Almost all private school and educational institutions in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad also remained closed on Monday amid of reports of terror threats.