ABBOTTABAD: Students and their parents have appealed to Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to order the immediate release of Rs3.5 billion for the construction and development of the permanent campus of the Comsats University in the Dhamthore area here.

They warned that delays in the release of funds could jeopardise the academic future of over 6,000 students currently enrolled at the Abbottabad Campus, which is operating on leased premises scheduled to be handed back to the Pakistan Army by 2031.

In a statement on Tuesday, students and parents emphasised that the timely completion of the new campus is essential to ensure uninterrupted educational activities and maintain the institution’s role as one of the country’s leading centres of higher education and research.

Established in 2001, the Abbottabad Campus has emerged as one of the largest educational institutions in the Hazara region. The campus currently offers 19 undergraduate and 32 graduate programmes through 14 academic departments, attracting students from across Pakistan and abroad.

According to university stakeholders, a comprehensive PC-I worth Rs3.4 billion was approved by the Central Development Working Party in May 2021. The project envisages the construction of academic blocks, laboratories, administrative offices and other essential facilities at the university’s permanent campus. However, despite the approval, the required funding has yet to be released, significantly slowing down progress.

Land for the permanent campus was acquired in 2011, and only one academic block has been completed at the Dhamthore site. University officials and students say that several key infrastructure components, including laboratories, lecture halls, classrooms and administrative buildings, remain pending and require immediate financial support.

The students and their parents noted that further delay in the release of funds could create serious challenges in relocating academic operations before the 2031 deadline.

They appealed to the federal government, particularly the Ministry of Planning and Development and the Ministry of Science and Technology, to expedite the release of funds so that the permanent campus project can proceed without interruption.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026