Round and round: Higher education in FATA still a pipe dream

Senate panel recommends new site, more land for proposed varsity.


Riazul Haq November 18, 2014

ISLAMABAD:


It has been over a decade when the government announced setting up of a university in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).


Since then only development funds for it are being announced in every budget and the first brick is yet to be laid.

Efforts for land acquisition have been ongoing since 2002  and politically-linked influential people have been finalising the construction site but are yet to agree on one.



This was highlighted in a meeting of a Senate body on Tuesday when members and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) executive director, among other officials, rejected the recently finalised site of 266 kanals for the construction of the university in Akorwal area of Darra Adam Khel at a cost of Rs140 million.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training Chairperson, Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, objected to the site terming the area sensitive due to security concerns. “How you can construct a university at a place where girls and boys will study together and terrorists run amok,” he commented, while Senator Najma Najam added how could students study at a place where people are brought in cases of kidnapping for ransom.

HEC Executive Director Mansoor Akbar Kundi said he had been the vice chancellor of Gomal University and the area was not suitable for any varsity.

Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Additional Secretary Tariq Hayat Khan remarked that the land is disputed among local clans.

“It is not enough for construction of a university which will be the first of its kind in the area,” Bangash added.

Education minister Balighur Rehman commented that the land should be at least 2,000 kanals which was agreed upon by all the members.

Interestingly, the land has yet to be finalised for the varsity and the members came to know that two VCs have moved court over their supposed VC-ship of the varsity.

The committee directed SAFRON, FATA Secretariat and the education ministry to select a new site for the institution as the tribal people have yet to see a varsity since 67 years of independence and directed HEC to stop any funding for the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2014.

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