On February 24, the AJK's Directorate General of Elementary and Secondary Education (Males) issued a circular bearing the signature of a deputy director stating that 'it has been observed that the female students/teachers are not made to wear the hijab in institutions where co-education is practiced."
As a result, female students and teachers must adhere rigorously to the guidelines that have been passed down by wearing the hijab.
The circular said that disciplinary action will be taken "against the heads of the institutions concerned" if the orders were violated.
For endorsement in accordance with the norms, the circular was transmitted to all three divisional directors and all ten district education officers on the male side.
Between March 2 and March 4, these individuals forwarded the circular to the educational institutions under their control.
The AJK's elementary and secondary education minister verified the circular and provided more details on its intent.
"We have carried out the commandments of God and His Messenger (peace be upon him) precisely. Men have been given the command to lower their eyes, and women have been given the command to cover their faces," he added.
According to the minister, since the government was unable to open separate high schools and higher secondary schools for girls in some rural areas due to a lack of funding, they would instead enroll in co-education schools where they would study alongside boys.
We decided to establish a dress code for instructors and a hijab for female kids and teachers in response to certain parent complaints, he added.
The minister said that the teachers will initially be required to wear gowns for identification, and in the second stage, they will also be required to wear uniforms.