PESHAWAR, July 16: The future of thousands of Afghan students is at stake owing to the reluctance of the administration of the sole Afghan University to shift the varsity to Khost for which the Karzai government has already granted approval, students and teachers told Dawn on Tuesday.

“It was decided by the interim administration in Kabul before the arrival of the former monarch, Zahir Shah, in early April to shift the Peshawar-based Afghan University to the Khost province. But even after the lapse of three months, nothing of the sort has taken place,” said a teacher of the university.

According to him, there is a group of powerful teachers that does not want to shift as they fear that they will lose the influence in the varsity affairs which they have wielded so far.

The university which has two campuses — one each for boys and girls — has been catering to the educational needs of some 5,000 Afghan students. Three years back, some Afghan universities — Syed Jamaluddin Afghani University, Cenna University, Ahmad Shah Abdali University and Umahatul Momineen University — operating in Peshawar were merged into one Afghan University. About 100 Afghan teachers have been imparting education to the students in all disciplines, including science and arts.

Following the installation of Hamid Karzai as the interim leader, and the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the university was accorded recognition by the incumbent Afghan government and it was decided to shift it to the Khost province.

At present, the varsity has been closed for summer vocations but as soon as the vacation ends, the number of students would register a drastic decrease and the varsity administration would be left with no option but to shift to Khost.