Pakistan varsity shut after threats

The Quaid-i-Azam University here, one of the largest in Pakistan, has been closed for an indefinite period, apparently following threats, the Dawn newspaper reported Sunday.

A number of universities in Islamabad have already announced an unusual one-week break from Dec 22.

These include the International Islamic University Islamabad, the National University of Science and Technology, the Bahria University and the National University of Modern Languages, the daily said.

Dawn quoted intelligence sources as saying that the Quaid-i-Azam University, which has no boundary wall and is spread over a vast open area, could be a soft target for terrorists.

"The security agencies have shown their concern over the security of the university. So we decided to close it for an indefinite period," a senior faculty member told the newspaper.

The closure of the university follows last week's massacre of over 140 students and teachers in an army-run school in Peshawar. The Tehreek-e-Taliban claimed responsibility for the carnage.