MURREE: Despite promulgation of an ordinance for the establishment of the University of Murree in May 2018 by the Punjab government on the direction of the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, work on the project could not be started yet.

In the budget 2018-19, the federal government had allocated Rs300 million for the establishment of the university campus against its total estimated cost of Rs650 million.

According to the ordinance, the university would provide teaching in geology, geography and forestry and such branches of learning as it may deem fit. It will make provisions for teaching, training, research and for the application, advancement and dissemination of knowledge.

It will also establish institutes, colleges, departments, faculties, centres of advanced studies, laboratories, workshops, hospitals, farms, institutions, museums and other centers of learning, associate itself with examination bodies and other institutions within Pakistan or abroad.

Govt had set aside Rs300m in 2018-19 budget but land for varsity is yet to be arranged

Though the federal government allocated funds in the budget 2018-19, land for the project was not arranged.

During the previous government, a delegation from the Higher Education Department and the Higher Education Commission visited Government Postgraduate College, Government Girls College and Government Commerce College in Murree.

The objective of the visit was to check the availability of infrastructure to start university classes in any of the institutions. The heads of the three colleges informed the delegation that they had sufficient space for the campus.

Besides, the administration of the Government Postgraduate College had offered its science block for the project. Later, the delegation had chosen the Government Postgraduate College near Jhika Galli for starting university classes.

But no practical action could be taken to start the university classes. After the formation of the PTI government, the Punjab government started considering turning Punjab House in Murree into a university and the Government House into an international level hotel as was recently decided by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

According to official sources, a committee comprising officials of the Board of Revenue, communication, youth affairs and tourism departments has been constituted to complete the spadework for turning the Punjab House into a university.

The Punjab House was built on 8.75 acres during the tenure of former chief minister Manzoor Wattoo and has approximately 100 employees. Situated at Pindi Point, at present it is under the Service and General Administration Department and is serving as a guest house for the chief minister and top officials.

Millions of rupees are spent on its periodical renovation, maintenance and staff salaries.

Sources said initially the prime minister wanted to turn Punjab House into a hotel. However, he later changed his mind and has now given the go ahead for establishing a university there.

PTI’s local leadership had consistently been criticising the previous government of PML-N, especially Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for not fulfilling their election promise of establishing a university in Murree.

When contacted, MNA Sadaqat Ali Abbasi said procedural work was at the last stage and soon the university would become functional.

He said initially some of the university classes would be started at the Government Degree College and at Punjab House, the administration block of the campus would be established at the resource centre at Kashmir Point, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019