RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has formally accepted the demand of the people of Murree to set up Kohsar University in the retort town.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar approved the summery of Punjab Higher Education Department for the establishment of Kohsar University in Murree which will be established after legislation in the provincial assembly soon.

Talking to Dawn, PTI MNA from Murree Sadaqat Abbasi said the government had already selected a site for the university and allocated Rs300 million. He said initially the Punjab House and Government Boys Degree College and Resource Centre in Murree would be used to establish the campus of the university.

However, he said, 300 kanals of Murree Brewery would be used for the extended campus of the university. He said campuses of the university would also be established in Kahuta, Kotli Sattian, Galiat and Azad Jammu and Kashmir so youngsters of these areas could get higher education near their homes.

He said a tourism department would be established in the university so people would get education in this subject. He said it was the long-standing demand of the area people to provide them such a facility and PTI government initiated the action on it.

He said the government was also working to establish more schools and colleges, especially for girls, in Murree and adjoining areas.

The university was announced by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at a public gathering in Murree in connection with the 2013 elections. But no progress was made on the project till 2017 when the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi allocated Rs30 million for it. However, after the expiry of the tenure of the PML-N government, the funds lapsed.

— Also contributed by Abid Fazil Abbasi

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2020