Schools in Sindh, including Karachi, to reopen today after winter vacations

Ending ambiguity about the resumption of academic activities amid sit-ins in Karachi, the Sindh Education Department on Tuesday announced that educational institutions would reopen across the province on Wednesday (today).

A spokesperson of the provincial education department clarified that education centres would resume academic activities from January 1, 2025 (today) after the winter break.

Public and private schools and colleges generally observe winter vacations from December 21 to 31 every year.

The statement came amid ongoing sit-ins being staged by the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) against the Parachinar issue in Karachi for over a week, resulting in full and partial closure of several arterial roads.

Police launched a crackdown to disperse protesters and managed to clear some roads, however, several localities were still closed for routine traffic movement in the metropolis, including Safari Park on University Road, Kamran Chowrangi, Lasbela, Abbas Town, and others.

The situation became tense at Numaish Chowrangi, M A Jinnah Road when protesters pelted stones at police and torched their six motorcycles and a check post at Numaish Chowrangi, prompting the cops to fire tear gas shells and baton-charge activists.

Several protesters were arrested by the law enforcers who have been shifted to the police station.

The prolonged protests disrupted daily life in the port city as people were unable to travel freely.

Parachinar, located in Kurram, is a tribal district near the Afghan border with a population of around 600,000. It has long been a hotspot for conflict.

Recent clashes, that erupted in November, have killed at least 130 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of medicine and oxygen exacerbated by the closure of the highway connecting Parachinar to Peshawar.