Three universities in the federal capital have been shut down indefinitely due to security concerns, university sources informed Geo News on Monday. This decision followed a search operation conducted by security agencies in the outskirts of Islamabad late on Sunday. Bahria, Air, and National Defence Universities administrations issued closure directives, notifying students late at night about the indefinite shutdown.
The abrupt closure has also impacted the final examinations of university students, according to the sources. Meanwhile, police sources mentioned heightened security measures in the federal capital due to upcoming elections and ongoing sit-ins by Baloch protesters at the press club.
A day prior, Balochistan Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai, addressing a press conference in Quetta, criticized the Baloch demonstrators holding a sit-in protest against enforced disappearances in Islamabad. He claimed that those labeled as missing persons were terrorists killed in Iran, referencing Pakistan’s strikes inside Iran.
The provincial information minister expressed concern that the Baloch protesters might disrupt the law and order situation, potentially leading to a terror incident. He suggested that individuals wearing masks in the sit-in could be terrorists associated with banned outfits.
In 2023, Pakistan witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations, as per the Annual Security Report released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) last month.
This includes nearly 1,000 fatalities among civilians and security forces personnel, marking a record six-year high and surpassing the 2018 level, reaching the highest since 2017. The country has experienced a surge in violence for the third consecutive year, with an uptick recorded each year since 2021.
