ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that the planned Baba Guru Nanak International University would now be set up in Islamabad instead of Nankana Sahib.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman informed the house that the decision to shift the university was taken by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) which faced resistance in acquiring land for the university in Nankana Sahib.

In reply to a question, the minister said he did not know the details of the resistance and dispute the ETPB faced for acquiring land but a “political campaign” had been launched against the university and the issue involved religious sensitivity.

The calling attention notice was moved by MNAs Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, Sabiha Nazir, Amra Khan, Zahra Wadood Fatemi and Begum Tahira Bukhari.

Minister informs NA that land for the varsity could not be acquired in Nankana Sahib

The lawmakers invited the attention of the minister towards the delay in the construction of the university at Nankana Sahib even though the project had been included in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18.

The minister said besides the land acquisition issue, there had been another hurdle in the establishment of the federal charter university in Nankana Sahib: after the 18th amendment a federally chartered university can only be established in Islamabad. He, however, told the house that the ETPB was intended to establish the main campus of the university in Islamabad while a campus would be opened in Nankana Sahib. He said if the Punjab government wanted to establish the university it can contact the ETPB and “We would have no objections,” he said.

Earlier, Ms Tahira Bukhari said both the federal organisations - the ETPB and the education ministry - could not resolve the issue of acquiring land for the university at Nankana Sahib. “There is a difference between the main university and a campus,” she said.

Ms Sabiha Nazir said the people of Nankana Sahib wanted to have a fully-fledged university in their area.

In reply, the minister said the shifting of the university to Islamabad was a decision of the ETPB. Secondly, he added, the federal charter was also an issue if the university was to be set up in Nankana Sahib.

The federal government had already allocated Rs200 million in the PSDP of the current financial year to the HEC for starting work on the construction of the university in collaboration with ETPB in Nankana Sahib.

The minister also informed the house that the ETPB was trying to make the university functional in Islamabad in June 2018.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2017