ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers from the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (Fata) failed to agree on the location selected for the construction of Fata university.

A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training was held at the Parliament House on Tuesday with Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash in the chair.

The meeting discussed a one-point agenda of getting recommendations from lawmakers from the tribal areas on the establishment of Fata university.

However, the lawmakers differed on the site at Akhrwal area in Darra Adamkhel where the university is to be set up. Majority of them termed the site suitable while three expressed their opposition.

The meeting was also attended by members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and senators of Fata, State Minister for Education Engineer Balighur Rehman and other members of the committee.

The project of setting up the university commenced in 2008, but due to land issue, it could not make any progress. The proposed university only has 266 kanals in Akhrwal area, which is insufficient for setting up a university.

MNAs Nazir Khan and Ghalib Khan opposed the establishment of the university in Darra Adamkhel, saying the location was not ideal.

“We have serious concerns over the proposed site...it’s discrimination with the people of South and North Waziristan, said Ghalib Khan. “I’m ready to donate 1,000 kanals in Batakhail area for the university,” said MNA Nazir Khan.

Senator Saleh Shah was of the view that setting up of the university on Kohat Tunnel side would be more convenient for the people of the tribal areas.

The committee was also briefed by the representatives of Fata Secretariat.

One of the representatives said in 2009, the secretariat purchased 266 kanals for Rs133 million in Akhrwal area. He said the purchased land was situated right in the centre of the tribal areas, making it accessible to students living in the region.

Legislators including Qaisar Jamal, Shah G. Gul Afridi, Sajid Hussain Turi, Syed Gulab Jamal, Ilyas Bilour and Afrasiab Khattak said construction work on the university would be started at the earliest, adding that there would be subcampuses in all the agencies of Fata.

It was also proposed that the university, after consultation with the Ministry of Defence Production, should set up a separate armoury department as the people of this area had special expertise in manufacturing weapons.

State Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Engineer Balighur Rehman said Fata university would be a milestone for the people of the area and bring a major change in their lives. He, however, said ideally a university required 1,000 to 2,000 kanals.

The minister further assured the committee that he would follow whatever recommendations the members came up with. In the end, the committee chairman, Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, said in light of the recommendations of the members, the committee would finalise its proposals in the coming days.

He said if the government had invested in education in the tribal areas, it would not have had to spend such enormous amount on maintaining law and order in the country.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2015

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