Three years on…: ‘Abducted vice chancellor to be released soon’

Governor Shaukatullah Khan claims Islamia College University’s Ajmal Khan will be freed in the near future.

PESHAWAR/ MICHNI: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Shaukatullah Khan on Wednesday claimed former vice chancellor of Islamia College University, Ajmal Khan, will be released soon.

Ajmal was kidnapped outside his residence in Professors Colony within the University of Peshawar (UoP) in September 2010. Three years on and multiple videos of him appealing for his safe release later, whereabouts of the former vice chancellor are still not known.

Addressing a ceremony of the senior alumni association at the varsity, Khan said the issue was raised in meetings with various tribal elders of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Khan stressed development was difficult without education and solid steps needed to be taken to strengthen the education sector. He expressed willingness to set up satellite campuses across the tribal areas in order to provide better higher education opportunities.

The governor also announced two campuses of Islamia College University for Charsadda and Parachinar.

Increasing infrastructure

The governor inaugurated the first ever marble city near Warsak Michni in Lower Mohmand along with a 45-kilometre Ghallani-Mamad Gat Road in Nahqi Mohmand on Wednesday.

Speaking at the inauguration, Governor Khan said the two projects will facilitate export of marble.

The road project will be financed by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) government and will cost around Rs4.5 billion. Work in phase-I of the marble project is 90% complete. It will include a grid station that will cost around Rs400 million and 80% of the plots have been allotted while the remaining will be allotted on first-come-first-served basis. The total cost of setting up the marble city is said to be around Rs1.3 billion.

Governor Khan said the road will allow marble to be transported from the mines to factories from where it will be exported to different parts of the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2013.