KP govt to sell education complex land amidst financial crisis

PESHAWAR: As the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government faces a financial crisis, education in the province is likely to take a hit since the authorities have reportedly decided to sell lands owned by the education department to address the financial shortfall, sources told Geo News on Saturday.

The sources said that the land bought for the Bacha Khan Greater Educational Complex in Mardan would be put on sale to clear the payments of landowners.

They said that 700 kanals of the 4,800 kanals reserved for the educational complex, which was intended to house four separate institutions, will be sold off to generate Rs35 billion. This land was reserved during the Awami National Party’s (ANP) government in the province.

Four separate buildings including Bacha Khan Medical College, Abdul Wali University, an agricultural university and an engineering university were planned to be established inside the Bacha Khan Greater Educational Complex.

Sources further stated that the government plans to sell the land to its original owners if they are willing to buy it back or the land will be auctioned.

Individual committees of all the four educational institutions have been formed for the marking and sale of the said land.

Speaking to Geo News, KP Education Secretary Kamran Afridi confirmed the decision to sell the land as the government faces a shortfall of funds. He said the decision to sell the land had been made in compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders. The government has to pay more than Rs30 billion to the landowners, he added.

The official further stated that directives have been issued for marking the additional land in the four educational institutes’ share. He said while the universities are unable to clear the remaining payments, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has also held the funding for varsities.