Quaid-i-Azam University closed for indefinite period for security reasons

Pakistan's prestigious Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) here has been closed for indefinite period due to security concerns.

A spokesman of the QAU said the university has been closed for an indefinite period, Dawn reported today.

He, however, said the administrative office of the university would remain open for processing admissions for spring 2015.

Majority of the educational institutions have been closed as annual winter vacation was announced from December 20 and due to security concerns in the wake of the Peshawar school massacre and the decision of the Pakistan's government to restore capital punishment.

According to sources quoting intelligence agency officials, QAU, with no boundary wall and a vast open area, could be a soft target of terrorists, the newspaper reported.

"The security agencies have shown their concern over the security of the university so we decided to close it for an indefinite period," said a senior faculty member of the QAU, on condition of anonymity.

Last month, intelligence agencies had sent a security alert to the QAU management.

Other universities in the capital which have been closed are International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Bahria University and National University of Modern Languages (NUML).

NUML will re-open on December 26.

The attack by the Taliban at an army-run school in Peshawar last Tuesday left 148 people dead, mostly students.