Strengthening of Shangla campus of Swat University

PESHAWAR: The project for strengthening of the Shangla campus of the Swat University would be inaugurated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on April 22.

Though a university campus is already working in Alpuri, the headquarters of the largely mountainous Shangla district, it is a small place with negligible facilities and students.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa managed to get possession of a large building built by ERRA for its offices in Alpuri and decided to establish the Shangla campus of the Swat University in it. The building has more than 60 rooms and is a spacious place that could in future become a full-fledged university.

Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, the provincial minister for information who was elected MPA from Shangla in the July 2018 general election, play the key role in acquiring the new building and upgrading the university campus in Swat.

He told The News that the previous campus of Swat University in Alpuri was based in a dilapidated building with a few rooms and even lack of proper access in Alpuri. “We were lucky to get possession of this huge building with enough rooms and space for the future needs of the campus,” he added.

The previous campus was established through the efforts of Amir Muqam, a former federal minister hailing from Swata and belonging to the PML-N. As the PML-N was in power in the country, he was able to get the Shangla campus of Swat University. However, it was too small to be called a university campus and the rented building where it was set up was in a poor condition.

The university campus would also be able to use the premises where a girls’ college was built on the outskirts of Alpuri town. It wasn’t easily accessible for girls in this conservative district and wasn’t able to become functional. However, the minister said this building would now be used for certain disciplines of the Shangla campus.

The provincial government recently sanctioned huge amount of funds to undertake further work at this campus.