ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill allowing establishment of University of Islamabad.

The bill, the University of Islamabad Bill 2019, was moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Professional Training, National History and Literary Heritage Wajiha Akram.

The university would provide education and scholarship in such branches of knowledge as it may deem fit and to make provision for research, service to society and for the application, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in such manner as it may determine in accordance with the guidelines of the professional accreditation councils.

The university shall be open to all persons of either gender and of whatever religion, race, creed, class, colour or domicile and no person shall be denied the privilege of the university on the grounds of religion, race, caste, creed, class, colour or domicile.

All recognised teachings in various courses shall be conducted by the university or the colleges in the prescribed manner and may include lectures, tutorials, discussions, seminars, demonstrations, distance learning and other methods of instruction as well as practical work in the laboratories, hospitals, workshops and other governmental or private organisations.

The chancellor of the university shall be nominated by the Board of Directors of Foundation for the Advancement of Innovation, Research and Education (FAIRE) for a renewable period of five years through a resolution passed with two third majority.

However, the term of the office of the chancellor may be reduced through a joint resolution of directors of the foundation depending on such reasons as availability, health conditions, resignation, etc.

The University of Islamabad, a private sector entity, was a project of FAIRE duly registered with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as a non-profit organisation for establishing a new university at Bahria Golf City, Murree Expressway Islamabad.

The university would be a comprehensive university offering programs in Management Science, Computer Science, International Relations and Mathematics. It brings immense social benefits for the local population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and adjoining areas. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objects through the above university in a private sector.

The National Assembly deferred introduction of a bill to validate the rules for regulating the competitive examination conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission (The Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill, 2019).

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020