Schools in Punjab border districts reopen after military standoff with Pakistan

Schools in five Punjab districts bordering Pakistan reopened on Wednesday, six days after they were ordered to be closed in view of the military standoff between India and Pakistan, officials said. The state government on May 8 ordered the closure of academic institutions for three days as a military standoff between India and Pakistan soared. While schools in most districts reopened on Monday, they remained shut in the six border districts.

Punjab shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan, spanning the districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Fazilka, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur.

While schools in Gurdaspur reopened on Tuesday, those in the other five border districts followed suit on Wednesday.

"We are reopening school today as per the government guidelines," said a teacher at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, at Attari in Amritsar.

The Amritsar district administration on Tuesday said schools would remain open from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

In Pathankot, a teacher said student attendance was at 80 per cent on the first day after reopening of schools. "We appeal to all parents to send their children to school," said the teacher.

The situation continued to remain normal in border areas in Punjab with markets teeming with people and schools reopening .

India and Pakistan reached an agreement on May 10 to halt military actions after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.