November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

TAXILA, Nov 1: Under the government’s scholarship programme, about 35 faculty members of the Wah Cantonment campus of the Comsats Institutions of Information Technology (CIIT) were pursuing higher education currently and 800 students would be sent for higher studies abroad soon.

Rector CIIT Dr Junaid Zaidi said this while talking to the media here on Thursday.

He said the Rs220 billion project of establishing a new campus of the CIIT at Wah Cantonment was hanging in balance due to non-availability of proper land.

However, he said, after getting the land, the new campus would be built to meet the demands of the future. Seventy different laboratories would be established at the proposed campus. Two hostels, one each for boys and girls, would accommodate 200 boys and 100 girl students. Accommodation facility for 30 faculty members would also be a part of the new campus.

Dr Zaidi said the federal government through the Higher Education Commission (HEC) would establish institutes of information technology in all major cities of Balochistan, Sindh and other provinces to spread the network of IT institutions to remote areas of the country.

He said that the Comsats would make all out efforts to impart quality education to the youth. The government had approved a multi-billion expansion project of Comsats institutions under which new campuses would be established and the existing campuses would be strengthened and up-graded.

The CIIT rector said that the HEC was generously funding developmental projects at six CIIT campuses. A number of construction and up-gradation projects were in the pipeline. The HEC was continuously giving MS and PhD scholarships to the academic staff, he added.

Comsats, he said, was committed to exploiting talent of the youth through quality education to achieve national prosperity.

GAMBLERS HELD: Taxila police busted a gambling den and arrested five accused, sources claimed.

On a tip-off, the police raided a house and arrested the accused, and seized Rs3,500.

SHOPKEEPERS BOOKED: In a crackdown against illegal profiteers and hoarders, price control magistrates in Taxila and Wah Cantonment booked about 39 shopkeepers.

They were fined for selling food items including meat and bread at exorbitant rates. During the drive, Price Control Magistrate Taxila-Wah Cantonment Circle Aqeel Ahmed Khan paid surprise visit to various markets and booked Munsif Khalid for selling meat at exorbitant rates.

Meanwhile, bakers including Aurang Zaib, Naeem, Shahfeeq, Umar Shahzad and Waqas was booked for selling bread (roti) at Rs4 instead of the official rate fixed at Rs3. Separate cases were registered.