Urdu university yet to decide on new campus

The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Islamabad has to vacate the building it is operating from, which it is renting from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), by March 28 but the varsity administration has not yet decided on where to move its campus.

Last year, Wapda had filed a case in the Supreme Court, seeking interference in getting the university to vacate the building.

The two member bench had given the university a year to move out so that the academic careers of its 5,000 students will not be affected. However, the university administration has no idea where to move the Islamabad campus from the building it is renting in G-7.

According to officials in the university, construction work on the varsity campus could not be started due to differences between two former vice chancellors and other employees even though it has the land and budget.

Urdu university has 80 kanals of land in Zone-IV of the capital and the Higher Education Committee had in 2013 released Rs100 million for the establishment of the campus. This amount has not yet been utilised.

“A special committee is working on the issue and is discussing various options,” said Additional Registrar Shah Jee Mohammad. He added that the university is also reaching out to various politicians to help it in moving out in time.

The Islamabad campus had been running out of the Wapda building since 2003. The latter had filed a lawsuit with the Rent Controller Islamabad in 2012, seeking the vacation of its property.

The decision was given in Wapda’s favour and was also upheld by the Islamabad High Court after which the university approached SC. Last year, a two-member bench consisting of Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Umar Ata Bandial gave the university a year to move out of the building it is renting from Wapda.

SMIU students visit parliament

Over 60 students of the Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU), the alma mater of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, are visiting Islamabad on a one week tour under the university’s leadership program.

The students met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, President Mamnoon Hussein, Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and other officials. On Thursday, the delegation visited Parliament house.

Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi welcomed the delegation at the visitor’s gallery and observed a session of the National Assembly.

The students were briefed about the political history of Pakistan and of the Constitution at the Constitution Lane or Gali-i-Dastoor

The delegation also visited the Senate Secretariat where they were briefed by Senate Secretary Asim Khan Goraya about the structure and functions of the Senate through a presentation followed by a question-answer session.

Later, the students visited the National University of Science and Technology as well.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2018