Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced on Wednesday that schools across the province would reopen from April 1, ruling out expectations of any extension in holidays.

Hayat made the announcement via a post on X, confirming the resumption of academic activities at educational institutions across Punjab.

Earlier this month, the provincial government had ordered the closure of all educational institutions from March 10 to 31 as part of measures to ease economic pressure, particularly the sharp rise in petroleum prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

It was learnt that authorities had been weighing several options to tackle the emerging energy crisis, including extending school holidays and reducing market hours to curb fuel consumption.

The Punjab Energy Department had also submitted recommendations to the provincial government, proposing fuel rationing along the lines of federal measures to manage limited resources, sources told Geo News a day ago.

Among the key proposals were extending school closures until April 15 and introducing a hybrid learning system to reduce energy usage in the education sector.

The department further suggested implementing a coupon-based or digital system to ensure equitable distribution of petrol and diesel, along with restricting fuel supply to vehicles on designated days as part of broader rationing efforts.