PU campus at Hujra Shah Muqeem likely

HED confirms development; says no harm if feasible

LAHORE

Punjab Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani has started materialising his idea of establishing a sub-campus of Punjab University (PU) at his constituency, Hujra Shah Muqeem, Tehsil Depalpur, District Okara.

For this, the minister convened an important meeting at Higher Education Department in which a committee was also formed to prepare a feasibility report about opening a sub-campus of the university in Okara District. Punjab University interim Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir and officials of the department attended the meeting. The committee has been tasked to come up with its recommendations within a week.

Sources in the department said Raza Ali Gillani had actually floated the idea of establishing the sub-campus during his stint at minister for housing, urban development and public health engineering in the previous tenure.

The sources said the minister, during the meeting, told the participants that the historic town of Hujra Shah Muqeem had three degree colleges and a substantial population owing to which the establishment of sub-campus of the university would be a great service to the locals. The minister, however, was briefed that there were certain guidelines and conditions which needed to be met. He was informed to first have a need assessment keeping in view the ground situation, on which he agreed and formed the committee.

The committee members included Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin, Additional Secretary (Academic) Dr Shoaib, Additional Secretary (Establishment), Deputy Secretary (Planning) and PU VC etc.

A senior official of Higher Education Department, when contacted, confirmed the development saying both provincial and federal governments were in favour of extending higher education facilities to youths and added if feasible there was no harm in establishing sub-campus of Punjab University in Hujra Shah Muqeem.

However, a PU official, who wished to remain anonymous, said the university instead of opening new sub-campuses should focus on student-teacher ratio at the main campus and shortage of PhD faculty especially at already established sub-campuses in Gujranwala and Jhelum. He said the strength of on-campus students at PU had crossed 40,000 while there were only 1,100 faculty members and added there were hardly one or two PhD faculty members at the university's sub-campuses.  The News could not reach the minister Raza Ali Gillani for comments.