182 madrasas in Pakistan sealed

230 educational institutions shut for inadequate security

Law enforcement agencies in Pakistan have sealed 182 madrasas for fanning extremism and also frozen Rs 1 billion in funds of proscribed militant groups, officials said on Friday.

As part of the strategy to choke terror financing under the National Action Plan, 126 accounts linked to proscribed organisations have been frozen, one official said.

Further, he said, the authorities have recovered Rs 251.2 million in cash which was being traded illegally.

Meanwhile, over 230 educational institutions — most of them government-run — in Pakistan’s Punjab province have been shut, with authorities asking them to step up security by Sunday or face action.

As many as 53 educational institutions in the region, including Rawalpindi Medical College, were on Thursday served final notices to improve security by Sunday, or the head of the institution would be booked, the Dawn newspaper reported.

In Jhelum, 15 educational institutions, including 10 government and five private schools were sealed. Chakwal saw four schools sealed and three others were given warnings.

In Attock, the police and intelligence agencies carried out a fresh survey of security at educational institutions and found 205 schools and colleges, including 127 government and 78 private institutions, lacked adequate security measures.

After the Punjab government ordered educational institutions across the province to shut down for five days, their administrations were asked to ensure that their buildings were safe and complied to the standard operating procedures.

The home department has ordered police chiefs to boost security around educational institutions.