Lahore/Karachi, January 10, 2026: The Punjab government on Saturday announced an extension of winter vacation for all public and private educational institutions across the province due to severe cold weather.
Punjab Minister for Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said the decision was taken to safeguard students’ health. “Around 87% of respondents in a public survey supported extending the holidays, while approximately 13% favoured reopening schools on January 12,” he added. According to the survey, 154,178 votes supported reopening on January 19, compared with 24,829 votes for January 12.
The minister directed all district chief executive officers (CEOs) to implement the decision immediately. The winter vacation, which began on December 22, 2025, was originally scheduled to end on Sunday, January 11.
A day earlier, Hayat had refuted rumours about extending the holidays, calling viral notifications “fake” and confirming that schools and colleges would reopen on January 12.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Education Department announced revised school timings in response to the ongoing cold wave. All public and private schools in the province will open at 9:00 a.m., while closing hours remain unchanged. The new schedule will be in effect from Monday, January 12, to January 26, following directives from Education Minister Sardar Shah.
The adjustments come as Karachi recorded its coldest night of the winter season on the midnight of Thursday and Friday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department reporting temperatures as low as 7.1°C at Jinnah Terminal. The Met Office attributed the shift to an intensifying cold wave affecting the province.
