MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmie English): All colleges within Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will have a one-day holiday on February 28 because of dangerously adverse weather conditions. On February 27, the Director-General of Colleges, Azad Kashmir, made this decision by releasing an official notification.
The issued notification states the reason for the decision as adverse weather conditions which have brought excessive rainfall and snowfall to multiple areas throughout the region. Portraying dangerous student and staff safety concerns caused the authorization to establish these precautionary safety measures.
Recently Azad Kashmir has had many avalanches and roadblocks, all due to the harsh weather conditions. In one instance, 57 tourists travelling from Kail to Sharda were stranded at Sheikh Bela due to a Neelum Valley glacier blocking the road but were safely rescued by local police, the Pakistan Army, and emergency services, with officials advising against unnecessary travel amid harsh weather conditions.
In another case, the Highways Department staff, who went missing due to avalanches and heavy snowfall after rescuing 100 stranded travellers at Reshian, have been found safe, with communication restored as they navigate extreme weather conditions back to safety.
The ongoing spell of rain and snowfall has made commuting very difficult, especially in hilly areas where roads have become super slippery and dangerous. Many regions of AJK, especially those in higher altitudes, experience transportation issues during such weather, making travel to and from educational institutions a dangerous challenge. With reports of landslides and road blockages in some areas, officials have deemed it necessary to temporarily suspend academic activities.
The closure applies to all of the government and private colleges in Azad Kashmir. Students and staff have been advised to stay updated with further information from educational authorities in case any additional changes to the academic schedule are made.
The directorate sent the notification to all relevant departments to implement the decision effectively. The Higher Education Department of AJK has instructed educational facilities to maintain continuous communication with their local authorities and regularly monitor the predicted weather outlook.
The official evaluation process will monitor ongoing weather conditions as further decisions will be made based on this assessment. All parents, alongside students and educators, need to avoid unnecessary movements as they need to take caution throughout the designated period.
The authority maintains constant observation of freezing winter weather because it impacts how they protect public safety against education interruptions in AJK.
