Schools closed in three KP districts will keep pupils and students at home on Monday, October 12. The administrations of Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan each ordered a one-day shutdown on Sunday. The notifications cover every public and private school, college and university in the three districts. Tribune later listed the three districts together, after each administration had issued its own order.
Schools closed in three KP districts, order by order
Peshawar moved first. The deputy commissioner’s office directed all institutions in the district to suspend activities for Monday. It advised students, parents and teachers to note the decision and plan around it. The Peshawar notification, dated October 11, stated no reason for the closure.
Nowshera followed with a matching order from Deputy Commissioner Gohar Zaman Wazir. His administration closed all public and private institutions for Monday, and it also cancelled the examinations and papers set for that day. Department officials and the heads of institutions were told to ensure full compliance with the order.
Mardan then announced the same step on Sunday. Its deputy commissioner’s office closed all government and private schools, colleges and universities for Monday. Examinations and papers scheduled for the day were also cancelled there, and institution heads were directed to comply strictly.
| District | Institutions closed on Oct 12 | Exams on Oct 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Peshawar | Schools, colleges, universities | Covered by the full-day closure |
| Nowshera | Schools, colleges, universities | Cancelled |
| Mardan | Schools, colleges, universities | Cancelled |
Why the districts acted on the emergency weekend
The orders landed hours after the federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, following President Asif Ali Zardari’s approval. ProPakistani reported that the federal measures were taken under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. It linked them to a deteriorating security situation and a dispute between the Centre and the province over counterterrorism policy.
Daily life in the provincial capital had already changed before the school orders arrived. The Pakistan Army was deployed in KP in aid of civil power, and containers blocked roads in Peshawar as the emergency took effect. Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit service was also suspended on Sunday because of the road closures and the security situation. A TransPeshawar spokesperson said staff remained at the stations, and the service would restart after an assessment, with passengers advised to check for updates before travelling. In Lahore, meanwhile, intercity bus services were suspended on the same weekend, and the PTI long march ended in Swabi as the new arrangements took hold.
A district decision, not a province-wide order
One point matters for families outside the three districts. No province-wide closure order from the KP education department had been reported by late Sunday night. Each closure came from a district administration, so parents in other districts have no closure notice to rely on unless their own administration issues one.
The contrast with Punjab is also worth noting, because both sets of messages circulated on the same day. Punjab’s Higher Education Department spoke on Sunday about a different notification. It said a claim that all Punjab colleges and universities would close on Monday was fake. It confirmed that those institutions will stay open on October 12. Its clarification is here. The KP orders, by contrast, are genuine district notifications, reported by Tribune and by Pakhtun Digital’s district reports from Peshawar and Nowshera and Mardan.
What happens next
Each order covers Monday, October 12 only. No extension had been announced by late Sunday night, and no new dates for the cancelled Nowshera and Mardan examinations had been issued. Parents should still check with their institution on Monday evening, because a fresh district notification is the only confirmed route to an extension.
FAQ
Which districts have closed schools on Monday?
Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan. In each district, all public and private schools, colleges and universities stay closed on Monday, October 12, 2026.
Are examinations also cancelled?
Yes, in Nowshera and Mardan, where the administrations expressly cancelled the examinations and papers set for October 12. No replacement dates had been announced by late Sunday night.
Is the closure for more than one day?
No. Each notification covers Monday, October 12 only. No district had announced an extension when the orders were issued on Sunday.
Are colleges and universities closed in Punjab on Monday?
No. Punjab’s Higher Education Department has called the circulating Punjab closure notification fake and confirmed that colleges and universities in Punjab remain open on October 12.
