Schools, colleges across Sindh to remain closed till Thursday

• BIEK postpones exams scheduled for August 24-25.
  
• Decision has been taken amid warnings of heavy rainfall.
• Management of universities to independently decide.

KARACHI: All schools and colleges across Sindh will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday (August 24-25) amid warnings of heavy rainfall, the education department has announced.

“Due to rain emergency, all government and private educational institutions, under the jurisdiction of School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh shall remain closed on August 24 and 25,” the notification issued by the provincial department read.

The Board of Intermediate Education (BIEK), Karachi, postponed the exams scheduled for August 24 and 25, according to BIEK Chairman Dr Saeeduddin.

A new date for the examinations will be announced later, Dr Saeeduddin said.

According to a notification issued by the BIEK, the papers of Arts (regular and private) and practicals (Science group) for the HSC annual examination-2022 have been rescheduled. The papers rescheduled include:

August 24:

• Economics
  
• Islamic Studies
• General History
• Psychology
• Urdu Advance

August 25:

• Arabic
• Persian
• English Advance
• Mathematics

Minister of Universities, Sindh, Ismail Rahu said that all universities across the province will also remain closed.

Moreover, examinations to be held under the University of Karachi, scheduled on the same dates, have also been postponed, confirmed the in charge-of-examination, adding that new dates will be announced later.

Federal Urdu University (Karachi campus) will remain closed on Thursday, spokesperson Dr Erum Afzal said.

PMD forecasts more rains

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) released an advisory earlier in the day forecasting more rains in the country during the week.

The Met office said that a well-marked low pressure located over east Rajasthan, India, is likely to move in the northwest direction and approach Sindh tonight.

“Due to this strong weather system monsoon currents are penetrating in southern and upper parts of the country,” the PMD warned.

Under the influence of this weather system:

• More rain-wind/thundershowers (with scattered heavy to very heavy falls) are expected in Sindh, south Punjab, south and northeastern Balochistan from August 23-26 with occasional gaps
• Rain-wind/thundershowers (with isolated heavy falls) are expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from August 23 (night) to 26 with occasional gaps
• Moreover, heavy rains may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Jam, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Naushahro Feroz, Larkana, Jaccobabad and Sukkur on August 24 and 25
• Flash flooding is expected in Qilla Saifullah, Quetta, Ziarat, Harnai, Pishin, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Jhal Magsi, Mosa Khel, Zhob, Sherani, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Bolan, Awaran, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan from August 24 to 26
• Heavy rains may generate urban flooding in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, Lahore and Gujranwala on August 24 and 25
• Flash flooding is expected in local Nullahs of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Dir, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Kashmir from August 24 to 26
• Rainfall may trigger landslides in Kashmir, hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Galiyat, Murree, Chillas, Diamir, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore, Ghizer and Skardu during the forecast period.