Govt having second thoughts about varsity plan

ISLAMABAD: The government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday gave a hint of reviewing its decision to convert the palatial Prime Minister House into an international university.

The possibility of such a move opened after Prime Minister Imran Khan hosted the visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Muhamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the PM House.

In his victory speech, Imran had announced that he would not use the Prime Minister’s House as his residence and that his party would later decide the fate of the building.

Recently, he inaugurated the Islamabad National University (INU) at a two-day conference on “Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan”.



Now, it seems the importance of maintaining an official house to receive international dignitaries has dawned upon the government, opening up the chances of maintaining the status quo.

With the new development, the chances of transforming the PM House into a university seem fading away.

It is to be noted that the decision to convert the PM house into a university was also opposed by security agencies, expressing concern over the absence of a state asset to house foreign dignitaries.

The ceremony in honor of the crown prince hints that the prime minister has also realised the gravity of the issue and the complexities involved in ensuring security in the red zone. It would not have been suitable to hold the ceremony to welcome the prince at a temporary place.



Now, the PM House may be given the status of a state guest house — an option on which there would be no issue. The ministry of education and skills development had also recommended keeping the PM house building in its original state and only setting up a Darul Hikmah Institute in the first phase and later on consider any possible development of a university in the extensive lawns of the PM House.

The ministry had advised that the construction of Darul Hikmah and the university was possible in the lawns that will not only fulfill the promise made by the prime minister but will also help keep a historic building in its original state.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2019.