ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said his dream was to build the country’s first Knowledge City which would offer top quality education to students.

The prime minister shared on Twitter a video of the master plan of the project the ground-breaking of which was performed by him in Mianwali on Saturday.

Renowned architect Tony Ashai, who will carry out the project of Namal Knowledge City, thanked the prime minister for providing him the opportunity to be part of the project.

“Thank you PM Imran Khan for giving me the opportunity to be part your dream. A proud moment for Pakistanis and InshAllah will be an institution that will produce future leaders of Pakistan,” Ashai said in a tweet.

Shares video of project’s master plan on Twitter

The Namal Knowledge City was envisioned by Mr Khan as a centre of academic excellence for the marginalised people residing in remote areas.

After completion of the first phase, more than 10,000 students from deprived areas will benefit from the project. The project will be environment-friendly with state-of-the-art green structure.

The master plan sets a new precedent in urban planning and environmental stewardship and provides innovative ways of fusing nature with city planning.

It will also support efforts for enhancing social equity by using locally sourced materials and human input.

During his visit to Namal University to launch the first phase of the Knowledge City project on Saturday, Mr Khan said the institution would also house facilities like schools and research centres to enhance agriculture yield and develop new seed technologies.

“Nations can only excel through education. They do not progress or become rich by just selling cotton or textile products. The richness comes when you invest in the people and provide them higher education,” he had said.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2020