All public and private schools and colleges in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore will remain closed on Monday, December 16.

“It is notified that all public/private schools and colleges in Islamabad will remain closed on 16 December (Monday) within the revenue limit of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT),” a notification from the district magistrate said.

In separate notifications, the deputy commissioners of Rawalpindi, and Lahore have also announced the closure of all educational institutions in their respective districts on December 16.

The government did not specify any reason for the announcement, but reports suggest that the decision was taken in memory of the victims of the Army Public School attack in 2014.

In the tragic attack, at least 132 schoolchildren were martyred when the banned terrorist group TTP stormed the school in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The attackers breached the compound by scaling a wall and targeting students and teachers.