KARACHI, May 18: The government has decided to grant the university status to the Federal Government Urdu Science College, it was learnt officially.

Sources in the government said the Urdu Science College, in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi, has been upgraded to Federal Urdu Science and Technology University. On a request of the Ministry of Science and Technology, President General Pervez Musharraf has given approval for the upgradation of the college.

It was further learnt that an initial amount has also been allocated for the proposed university project, which will be undertaken by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has also been asked to review and submit the project (PC-1) to the Ministry of Science and Technology for funding support for the IT component.

The sources said the ministry had been looking for an appropriate site in Karachi for the launch of its IT university project and things started shaping up positively only when a group of teachers from the Federal Govt Urdu Science College approached the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, and urged him to use his good offices regarding appropriate utilization of the big educational complex in Karachi.

A new block, built for the Master’s classes, has remained unutilized for the last a couple of years as the federal government was not willing to provide further funds to the college.

The Education Ministry had suggested two options in the case of the Federal Govt Urdu Science College and the Federal Govt Urdu Arts College — either the institutions be taken over by the Sindh government or these should be made the constituent parts of the University of Karachi, said a source in the college.

During a visit to the Urdu Science College, Dr Atta-ur- Rehman had pointed out to the teachers and others affiliated with the college that a viable solution to the problem could be the better use of the college premises for the training and education in Information Technology.

It may be mentioned here that at present the affairs of the Federal Urdu Arts College are being looked after by the University of Karachi, which has also deputed a senior university teacher as its principal.

Meanwhile, the honorary secretary of Anjuman Taraqi-i-Urdu Pakistan, Jamiluddin Aali, has welcomed the decision to upgrade and restructure the Federal Govt Science College and congratulated President Musharraf for approving the project.

“This is a step in way of partial compliance of the policy of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in favour of the national language. Also it seems that the dream of Baba-i-Urdu Moulvi Abdul Haq has begun to come true,” Mr Aali said on Saturday.

He also praised the efforts of Dr Atta-ur-Rehman and Federal Education Minister Zubaida Jalal for establishment of the IT university.

Mr Aali appealed to President Musharraf to also order setting up of an Urdu Arts University for which infrastructure was already available in the form of the Federal Govt Urdu Arts College.