PoK Shuts Religious Seminaries Amid Fears Of Indian Strikes After Pahalgam Attack

The government of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has ordered the closure of all religious seminaries in the region for 10 days, officials said on Thursday, citing concerns they could be targeted by “imminent” Indian strikes following the deadly terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

Islamabad says it has credible intelligence that India intends to launch military action soon, with New Delhi alleging that the terror attack on tourists was carried out by Pakistani nationals with ties to Islamist organisations based there.

The director of PoK’s Department of Religious Affairs, Hafiz Nazir Ahmad, told Reuters that security officials feared Indian forces may target seminaries and label them as terrorist training centres.

The notification seen by Reuters, dated April 30, only cited a heatwave as the reason for the closure.

‘Imminent’ Retaliation Fears

“Right now, we are facing two kinds of heat — one from the weather and the other from (Indian Prime Minister) Modi,” Ahmad said of the notification, saying they did not mention the risk of attacks in a bid to avoid panic.

India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India has previously targeted sites in Pakistan, alleging they were bases of terrorists close to the border of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We held a meeting yesterday in which it was unanimously decided not to put innocent children at risk,” Ahmad said. The President’s Office of PoK also said the closure was due to “precautionary reasons.”

Seminaries In PoK

There are 445 registered seminaries with over 26,000 students enrolled in PoK, according to the religious affairs department.

The seminaries – locally known as madrasas – are Islamic educational institutions run by religious organisations, providing cheap, often free, alternatives to regular schools.

However, seminaries in PoK have been criticised for radicalising youth towards Islamist extremism.

Pakistan has said it will respond “assuredly and decisively” to any military action from India, raising the spectre of war between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is claimed in full but ruled in parts by both India and Pakistan, and has been the site of two wars and multiple skirmishes.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training terrorists, which Islamabad denies, saying it offers only moral and diplomatic support.

(With inputs from Reuters)