GUJAR KHAN: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Sunday approved the PC-II for the establishment of a sub-campus of Punjab University for Gujar Khan and has included the project in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2022-23.

Talking to Dawn, speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that funding of Rs2,000 million for the project had been approved and the project would be completed in the fiscal year 2022-23. He said the university would be established on 826 kanals which were acquired a long time ago when he served as chair of the Social Action Board.

Mr Raja said quality education was vital for local and national development and the establishment of the university was the longstanding demand of residents. He said Gujar Khan was one of the largest tehsils of Punjab and had a population of more than a million.

The speaker said students from different areas of Gujar Khan had to leave for major cities including Islamabad and Lahore for higher education and many could not afford the heavy university fees.

He said now students from Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Rawat and Sohawa would be able to get quality education at their doorsteps.

Mr Ashraf said development of his constituency, Gujar Khan and Kallar Syedan, was his top priority and he was taking steps to solve the issues of his people.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2022