PESHAWAR: The senate of Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar unanimously approved a surplus budget of Rs279.976 million.

The approval was granted during the 19th senate meeting held at Alexander Fleming Hall in KMU with the pro-chancellor and adviser to chief minister on health, Ihtisham Ali, in the chair. The meeting was attended by KMU Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq, Mian Mohammad Ajmal, Akhtar Ali Shah and other members, a press release said.

Prof Zia said that KMU was established 18 years ago with very limited resources, but it had grown into a strong and flourishing institution with more than 200 affiliated colleges in the fields of medicine, dentistry, nursing, rehabilitation, public health, basic medical sciences, pharmacy and allied health sciences, and more than 75,000 students.

He said that with setting up sub-campuses in major districts of the province and Islamabad, KMU attained national recognition. “The planned international campuses in Kabul and Saudi Arabia will elevate it to global level,” he added.

VC says campuses in Kabul and Saudi Arabia will elevate the university to global level

Prof Zia said that KMU’s research grant reached Rs2 billion. He said that in the ranking of Higher Education Commission (HEC), KMU’s Quality Enhancement Cell stood at the top with 95 per cent score.

He said that successful diagnostic services provided by Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) would soon be expanded commercially across the province. “KMU is also the first medical university in the province to establish a 500-bed general hospital, which will soon be inaugurated by chief minister,” he added.

The vice-chancellor said that due to strict implementation of financial austerity policy and conversion of pension and GP Fund into Contributory Provident Fund (CP Fund), the university was able to present a surplus budget.

Ihtisham Ali praised KMU’s performance and financial management, saying at a time when most universities in the province were facing financial deficits, KMU’s presentation of a surplus budget was a commendable and exemplary achievement. He said that the determination of vision and goals, and struggle for their achievement, reflected KMU’s commitment and hard work, which was indeed praiseworthy and a matter of pride.

He said that provincial government and health department would provide all necessary facilities to KMU on a priority basis, enabling the only medical university of the province to achieve its mission and vision more effectively.

Earlier, the senate approved the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 with an income of Rs5,077.325 million and expenditures of Rs4,797.349 million, reflecting a surplus of Rs279.976 million. The senate also unanimously approved revised budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, which showed an income of Rs4,907.126 million and expenditures of Rs4,186.748 million, with a surplus of Rs720.378 million.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2025