Pakistan Closes 1,000 Madrasas Amid Rising India Tensions

Authorities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have closed all religious seminaries for ten days amid escalating tensions with India, following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir that India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Officials in the region cited a heatwave as the public reason for the closure, but admitted it was a precautionary measure against potential Indian military strikes, fearing seminaries could be targeted as suspected militant sites. More than 1,000 religious schools were affected, and emergency services in Muzaffarabad began preparing schoolchildren for possible attacks. The situation intensified after the Resistance Front initially claimed, then denied responsibility for the attack, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi granting military forces operational freedom and taking steps such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened diplomatically, urging Pakistan to aid in the investigation and condemn the attack, while expressing condolences for the victims to India. Both countries continue to exchange accusations and threats, raising fears of further escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.