At least four universities in Islamabad were closed on Monday after a security alert was issued regarding the possibility of an attack by a female suicide bomber. University administrations later announced that they would remain closed till January 26.

Quaid-e-Azam Univerity, Air University, Bahria University and National Defence University were closed on Monday. The International Islamic University also announced that it would remain closed from january 23 to 26.

“Due to security reasons… all faculty and staff, except security and necessary admin staff, will work from home,” said a text sent to Bahria University students and seen by AFP.

Apart from Quaid-e-Azam University, the universities are situated near Air Force and Naval headquarters.

According to sources, a search operation was carried out in the city late at night by security forces.

According to sources, the threat said that a female suicide bomber could target educational institutions. As a precautionary measure, many schools were also closed down in addition to the four universities.

The threat alert said that the risk of the attack could be high due to the involvement of a female bomber as security measures pay more attention to the scrutiny of males.

On the other hand, Islamabad police said that security measures are already strict in the city but caution needs to be exercised especially as the election campaign gains steam.

Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan said that the situation was under control in the capital city, however, all types of gathering were banned due to the prevailing conditions, he added.

“The situation does not warrant the citizens to change their daily routine or educational acitivites,” he said in a video posted on X.

The threat alert comes a few days after Pakistan carried out drone and missile strikes in Iran after the latter attacked targets in Balochistan. Although Pakistan expelled the Iranian ambassador, contact between foreign ministers from both sides helped cool down temperatures after the strikes.

Pakistan goes to the polls on February 8 and thousands of auxiliary security forces are set to saturate the nation’s capital and northwestern region abutting Afghanistan.

The South Asian nation of 240 million has seen an uptick in attacks along its border regions since the Taliban surged back to power there in 2021, and has consistently claimed Kabul is giving safe haven to militants.

Last year saw casualties hit a six-year high with more than 1,500 civilians, security forces and militants killed, according to the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies.

In 2014, the banned TTP stormed an army public school in the northwestern provincial capital of Peshawar and killed more than 150 people, the majority of them children, triggering a massive army campaign to rout the militants.

(With input from AFP)