QUETTA: Representatives of private educational institutions and parents in Balochistan have expressed serious concern over the recent closure of schools, colleges and universities due to the ongoing fuel crisis and tense situation in the Middle East, terming the decision harmful to students’ academic future.

Zahid Jan Madokhail, an educationist who runs a school and college system, has urged the Balochistan government to partially restore academic activities.

He stated that Quetta falls in a winter zone where educational institutions had only recently reopened after approximately two and a half months of winter vacations. However, the latest closure has once again disrupted academic continuity. He said the number of academic days in Pakistan is already limited (around 150 days annually), and repeated closures are negatively affecting students’ performance.

He further said that while the government has announced a four-day working week for other public institutions, educational institutions have been completely shut down, which appears unfair.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2026