BAHAWALPUR, Feb 7: The University College of Engineering and Technology of the Islamia University presents a sorry state of affairs so much so that its classes are being conducted in a building meant for workshop and garages.

The garages were constructed for the vehicles of the institution on Baghdadul Jadid campus.

Some of its students have recently complained that not even the first brick of the building has been laid due to which they have to attend classes in garage-type rooms.

They claim that shortage of facilities at the university ever since its inception six years ago have been a constant source of trouble for them.

The institution, which was established in February 1999 after its announcement by the then prime minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif, on the request of former vice-chancellor Prof Dr M. Shafi Khan, has otherwise a decent academic record.

After its establishment, classes of BSc in electronics started on an emergency basis in the building meant for workshop after making necessary changes in the structure to meet the requirements of students.

As regards the construction of the new building, the project costing about Rs131 million is 'ready' for execution. The PC-I of the second department i.e. computer system engineering has also been submitted for approval while for the introduction of the department of civil engineering, the university administration has recently signed an MoU with Bahria Town.

The Bahria Town management will spend Rs23 million on the construction of its building and the university and the Higher Education Commission will utilize the matching grant.

The college is yet to be registered by the Pakistan Engineering Council, which had asked it to meet its requirement of recruiting more academics and improving infrastructure. Thereafter, it hired the services of nine teachers and as many laboratory assistants, including five senior technicians.

The teachers included two senior academics whose services have been hired against a monthly salary of Rs85,000 each plus residential facilities.

Besides, five laboratories have been equipped with apparatus worth about Rs64 million while the library has around 2,000 books.

Two batches of students (40 in each) have passed out of the college in the field of electronics.When contacted, IUB vice-chancellor Prof Dr Munir Akhtar told this correspondent that this long-awaited institution was established in an emergency on the desire of local students.

About delay in the construction of its building, the VC said earlier the contractor due to abrupt rise in the cost of building material refused to execute the project after which his security was forfeited. However, he hoped that the work would start very shortly.

Regarding the requirements of the PEC, he said two teachers - Jan Muhammad Kario, a former vice-chancellor of the Quaid-i-Awam University of Science and Technology, Nawabshah, and Abdul Rashid Nizamani - had recently been appointed.

He said as the college had already met the PEC's requirements, fresh efforts would be made for its registration with the council. Even without the registration of the PEC, he said, the college graduates had been selected by many departments, including some of the defence service academies.

College principal Sheikh Aftab Ahmad said a hostel for about 200 students was already being constructed. He said so far two batches of students had been awarded degrees and most of them had been recruited by various government and semi-government departments.

As many as 23 BSc graduates of the college had been absorbed by several organizations, he added.