• CM approves Ring Road, Leh Expressway projects
• Says 29,142 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships to be awarded this year
• Sheikh Rashid claims work on Mother and Child Hospital to be completed soon

RAWALPINDI: The garrison city on Friday got a third varsity for women after Government Viqarun Nisa Postgraduate College was upgraded to a university.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar announced the decision while speaking at a ceremony held at Viqarun Nisa college on Friday.

He also gave approval to the Rawalpindi Ring Road and Leh Nullah Expressway projects.

Extending his felicitations to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and other parliamentarians, the chief minister announced that Rs1 billion would initially be provided to Viqarun Nisa University and four faculties established in the first phase.

Mr Buzdar said work was under progress on 371 projects worth Rs132 billion in Rawalpindi city.

“The Ring Road and Leh Nullah Expressway projects will prove to be game-changers and benefit the locals, he said, adding that Rawalpindi would be developed as a model city.

He said the residents of the garrison city had always reposed their trust on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Ample higher education opportunities are available for female students in Rawalpindi as the division has 60 girls colleges alone,” the chief minister said, adding that women education was a top priority of the government.

Mr Buzdar said health budget had been raised by 124 per cent while an increase of 286pc and 29pc was made in higher education and school education budgets, respectively.

Meanwhile, he said 21 universities had been approved for Punjab, out of which six have already been established and work on nine others was underway.

“Four universities are already present in Rawalpindi district while steps are being taken to establish a university in Attock as well,” he added.

The chief minister said outstanding students in need of financial help had been given 10,574 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships worth Rs273.8 million while 677 Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) scholarships would also be provided, adding that 29,142 Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen scholarships worth Rs1 billion would be awarded this year.

Mr Buzdar said ‘Seerat Chairs’ had been set up in IUB, Ghazi University D.G. Khan, Okara University, GCU Faisalabad, University of Chakwal and Bahauddin Zakariya University to assist with research.

“An effort has been made to ensure the participation of people from all walks of life in Ashra Shan-i-Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said it was a big day as he had managed to establish a third women university in Rawalpindi. He said in the British period, ‘Dhokes’ were set up to get labour but we provided higher education facilities to all people in Rawalpindi’s ‘Dhokes’.

He said 5,000 girls were getting education in Dhoke Hassu alone, adding that he had managed to set up a girls college in the cantonment areas for the first time. He said he had established 79 colleges in Rawalpindi after nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan asked him to work for education.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also announced that work on Mother and Child Hospital would be completed soon.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Buzdar chaired a meeting at the Punjab House, Islamabad, to review projects relating to repair and maintenance of road infrastructure in Punjab.

National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman, P&D chairman, C&W secretary and others attended the meeting.

A report about highway maintenance was presented before the participants and progress on the 415km long Balkasar-Mianwali-Muzaffargarh road project was reviewed.

The chief minister was briefed about the repair and expansion of the 129km long Balkasar-Mianwali patch and the 286km long Mianwali-Muzaffargarh portion.

Mr Buzdar expressed his satisfaction that roads and highways were being improved and upgraded in the province and hoped the projects would ease the movement of commuters.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2021