GILGIT, Dec 23: The scheduled reopening of schools on Dec 24 has been delayed after heads of at least five high schools expressed inability to ensure security in their institutions.

Schools had been closed after June 2 clashes over the curriculum issue Official sources said headmasters of the schools expressed their inability to guarantee peace during an official meeting that was held on Tuesday and said they could not restrain students from resorting to violence.

"Officials have decided not to reopen these schools in the municipal limits of the Gilgit city till further orders," they said. They said thousands of students of these schools were waiting to resume their studies since June last but nobody turned up to provide any assurance that the students would not resume the strikes.

Officials said chief executive of the Northern Areas and Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat during his recent visit told the protesters that most of their demands had been fulfilled and that it was hard to design curricula at district levels as it was a federal and provincial subject.

They said that the minister had advised the protesters to take up the issue with the quarters concerned. Officials said that they had revoked the previous decision to reopen the schools on Dec 24 because of their indecisiveness about the maintaining law and order.