SWABI: The University of Swabi (UoS) would get Rs1.38 billion funds for infrastructure development and improvement of facilities.

Sources in the university told this correspondent on Thursday that UoS was upgraded in 2012 from a campus of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, and since then the number of enrolled students had gone up from only 200 to 3,000 now.

They said that the needs and requirements of both the students and staff had increased with the passage of time. They said that the recently-completed projects of the university included four academic blocks, one multi-purpose hall, administration block, examination block and university guest house.

They said that approval of the funds became possible with the support of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the development projects were expected to be started soon in the new campus of the university, situated near the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway.

The sources said that the Planning Commission in its Central Development Working Party had approved the funds to strengthen the varsity’s physical infrastructure.

The university had submitted its project to the HEC for approval. The project includes construction of a central library, two students’ hostels of 300 rooms for boys and 200 rooms for girls, 23 staff residences, house for the VC and a staff hostel for nearly 100 people.

When contacted, UoS VC Prof Imtiaz Ali Khan said that completion of the new projects would strengthen the education standard, attract scholars and supplement their research activities.

KILLED: A young man was killed following exchange of hot words in Maneri Payyan village here on Thursday, police said. The deceased was identified as Oqail Khan. Police have registered an FIR.

Meanwhile, unidentified thieves stole electric wire from main transmission lines on Swat Motorway poles at night, said police on Thursday.

Pesco had recently installed the wire and the work was in progress on the supply line. The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Yar Hussain police station and an FIR had been registered against unidentified thieves there.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2020