The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Department has ordered all public and private educational institutions across the province to suspend extracurricular programmes and begin civil defence training for students in light of heightened military tensions with India, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.

A formal notification issued in Peshawar directed schools and colleges to halt all sports, cultural, and other non-academic activities.

It cited the “current war-like situation” as the reason for the urgent shift in focus toward preparedness and safety.

The department had instructed school administrations to begin preparations for civil defence training without delay and informed the heads of all public and private institutions, including educational boards, to ensure full compliance with the directive.