Islamabad: The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has announced winter timings for all public schools and colleges in Islamabad from December 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
According to the official notification, all institutions under the FDE, including Islamabad model schools and colleges in urban and rural areas, will operate under revised schedules to accommodate the winter season.
For single-shift schools, classes will run from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm from Monday through Thursday, while timings on Fridays will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Montessori and Prep classes will be held from 8:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m throughout the week. Timings have been adjusted for ECE-I from 8:30 a.m to 11:30 am and for ECE-II from 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m.
Double-shift institutions will follow separate schedules for morning and evening shifts. Morning shifts will operate from 8:15 a.m to 1:15 p.m from Monday to Thursday and 8:15 am to 12:15 pm on Fridays. Evening shifts will start at 1:15 pm and end at 6:00 pm from Monday through Thursday, while Friday timings will be 2:30 p.m to 6:00 p.m.
Postgraduate colleges may continue classes from 8:30 am to either 2:00 p.m or 4:00 p.m, depending on their individual academic requirements. The FDE directed area education officers to ensure strict compliance with the new schedule by all FDE institutions.
Iqbal Day celebrated
Rawalpindi: Former Punjab Health Minister and philanthropist Dr. Jamal Nasir on Wednesday called for renewed focus on the philosophy of Allama Iqbal, saying it could guide Pakistan towards spiritual elevation, national dignity, and global recognition.
Speaking at a ceremony organised by Anjuman Faiz-e-Islam to mark the Iqbal Day, with the theme “Iqbal and the Present Era,” Dr. Nasir said countries such as Turkey, Iran and Germany had progressed by embracing Iqbal’s thoughts, while Pakistan had failed to utilise its intellectual heritage.
He lamented that Pakistani politicians did not follow Iqbal’s teachings in their true sense and noted that the National Poet had largely become a symbolic figure for the poor and marginalised.
He also criticised the media for giving insufficient coverage to Iqbal’s birthday, describing it as a reflection of national priorities. Professor Dr. Riaz Ahmad, President of Anjuman Faiz-e-Islam, underlined Iqbal’s relevance in building a virtuous and prosperous society and praised the Pakistani people for their faith and spirit of sacrifice, citing recent successes in defending the country against Indian aggression.
Other speakers, including Azhar Fatima, Colonel (r) Jamil Athar, and Naeem Akram Qureshi, paid tribute to Iqbal’s legacy and urged students to study his works and apply his teachings to shape a better future. They described Iqbal as the spiritual father whose ideas significantly influenced the creation of Pakistan.
