ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday approved “The Islamabad Women University Bill, 2021” to set up the first-ever female university in the federal capital.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education met here at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) under the chairmanship of MNA Mian Najeeb-ud-Din Awaisi.

The mover of the bill, MNA Ali Nawaz Awan, told the committee that a separate university for women in Islamabad was the need of the hour keeping in view potential of women as well as religious and social context.

He apprised the committee that the government had already announced its plan to establish first women varsity in Postgraduate College for Women at Islamabad’s sector F-7/2. She said the government through this bill could materialise its manifesto of providing an easy access to quality education to girls.

After deliberations, the committee approved the bill.

Earlier, QAU vice chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali briefed the committee on the functioning of the university. He said the QAU ranked top on the Higher Education Commission (HEC) ranking and was at 378th in the world on the QS World University Rankings, whereas it remained among top 100 leading varsities of Asia.

He said the university was going to establish the department of sports sciences as per instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan and also department of media studies. He said the university signed almost 70 MoUs with different national and international academic and research institutions and corporate entities. The committee appreciated the achievements.

The NA panel also approved “The International Institute of Science, Arts and Technology Bill, 2021” and formed a subcommittee to be headed by MNA Mehnaz Akbar Aziz on the affairs of HEC and varsities.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2021