Govt moves ahead with plan to turn PM House into university

Forms working group to fine-tune charter of proposed institute


Zafar Bhutta October 16, 2018
In order to implement this idea, the government has formulated a working group to fine-tune the proposed charter of university. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has decided to convert the Prime Minister House into Islamabad National University (INU) to serve as a centre of excellence for technical research orientation with special focus on emerging technologies.

In order to implement this idea, the government has formulated a working group to fine-tune the proposed charter of university.

A senior government official told The Express Tribune on Tuesday that the plan to convert the PM House into a university was shared in a recent cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the meeting, the cabinet members were informed about the plan to set up INU aimed at providing high-quality research education at the level of MS and PHD; attracting the best faculty and students from all over the world; and serving to build a knowledge-based economy.

The proposed university would provide an integrated learning experience in the fields of social sciences, applied sciences and applied technology.

It would have 75 and 2,000 research students. The cabinet was further informed that a draft PC-1 was ready, and the reconnaissance and status of land had been completed in liaison with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Public Works Department (PWD). Further, the execution plan, the cost of civil works, risk factors and measures to mitigate them were also shared with the cabinet.

During the course of discussion, it was observed that converting the PM’s residence into a university was part of the PTI’s manifesto. The university should serve as a centre of excellence and a state-of-the-art institution of higher learning. It was pointed out that the said university should have technical research orientation with special focus on emerging technologies.

PM House to host higher learning institute

It was further pointed out that the university should be made operational as early as possible on a modest scale in the existing infrastructure with further expansion in the future. In order to make the university sustainable, the need for creating an endowment fund was also highlighted.

Furthermore, the cabinet decided to form a working group to streamline the proposal.

The group would comprise Minster for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Advisor on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, Advisor on Commerce, Textile and Production Dr Abdul Razak Dawood, Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr Tariq Banuri and two members to be suggested by the HEC.

COMMENTS (1)

S Zafar Iqbal | 5 years ago | Reply A step in the right direction. It is setting the right precedent. It is unconscionable for the elected leaders of a poor, starving nation to live in such profane luxury while the majority of the people suffer in abject poverty, a majority with no roof over their heads, and a large proportion of whom sleep with an empty stomach. The government must ensure to make this transformation legally solid, so that the corrupt mafias that have ruled Pakistan until recently don't reverse this move if and when they come to power again.
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