Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has said that the decision to close down educational institutes was taken due to non-compliance with government-issued standard operating procedures, Radio Pakistan reported.

The minister said that the health of students is the government's top priority, and called upon students and teachers to cooperate with authorities in curbing the spread of the disease.

Mahmood said that students should continue learning during the pandemic. "With the help of online platforms, students can revise their lessons, practice academic exercises and get immediate feedback from their teachers," he said.