“In pursuance of decisions taken in the Steering Committee meeting; all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh shall remain closed w.e.f 22-12-2023 to 31-12-2023 for winter vacation,” said the notification issued on Thursday.

All private and public educational institutions would be reopened on January 1, 2024.

Last week, light to moderate rain fell in different parts of Karachi under the influence of a westerly wave affecting southwest Balochistan.

Overall a tendency for normal to slightly above normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the country, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s outlook for December.

“The northern half of the country comprising of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and northern Punjab are expected to receive slightly above normal rainfall during the forecast month. Sindh, southern Punjab and most parts of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan may get near normal rainfall during December 2023,” it said.

The Met Office warned that fog/smog was likely to persist in the plains of Punjab and upper Sindh in December.