ISLAMABAD: The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has decided to start classes at the Federal Government Degree College Bhara Kahu in the coming academic year, according to FG College Director Zulfikar Rao.

“We have purchased necessary items like furniture for the college and a principal and other staff have been appointed as well,” he said.

The college will be opened even though the PC-4 for it has not been approved yet, which is for creating posts in an institution.

Permanent staff for the college will be appointed after the creation of posts, Mr Rao said, adding that a senior teacher at Margalla College, Samina Ashraf, was temporarily appointed principal of the college while teachers have been borrowed from other colleges.

Residents of Bhara Kahu have been waiting for the first women’s college in a rural area of the federal capital for 11 years.

FDE decided to inaugurate first women’s college in a rural part of Islamabad with staff borrowed from other colleges

Female students had to travel kilometres to the nearest institution and often have to travel via public transport every day.

The college was first promised by former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali in 2004.

The building for the college was supposed to be completed in 2013.

However, due to encroachments on the college land, construction work could not be completed on time.

The encroachments were only removed after the State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry started taking an interest in the project.

FDE officials suggest the minister should now focus on getting approval of a PC-4, i.e. the creation of posts and appointments, for the college in order for it to operate properly.

“How can you run a college with staff which is borrowed from other colleges,” an FDE official asked. He said the department has started classes in four other colleges in haste and without getting their PC-4 approved. Those colleges remain understaffed and without permanent posts, he said.

These colleges are the FG Degree College for Girls I-8/3 which was inaugurated in 2009, FG Degree College for Boys Sihala which was just recently opened, FG Degree College for Girls I-14 in which classes started in 2012 and FG Dehree College Humak which was inaugurated in 2004.

When asked, FDE Director Planning and Development Taj Bhatti said the PC-4 of all five colleges were pending with the planning commission.

“This is not a delay on our part. We submitted the PC-4 of all colleges,” he said.

Asked why the FDE had opened yet another college without proper staff, he said: “Technically, we should not have opened a college without first approving its PC-4.

“But we did this to avoid the building from deteriorating. Once a building is completed, you cannot leave it abandoned.”

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2016