North Waziristan to have Education City: CM wants project included in 10-year development plan

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed authorities concerned to include Education City project of North Waziristan in the 10-year development plan for the merged districts.

He was chairing a meeting on the Education City, said an official handout. Secretary Higher Education, secretary Elementary & Secondary Education, and representatives of the Tochi Welfare Organization and others were present. The Education City is to be set up on 1,000 kanals.

The chief minister directed officials concerned to constitute a working group, comprising the private sector, representatives of Tochi Welfare Organisation and government officials. Mahmood Khan said provision of quality education, especially for women in the newly merged districts, was a priority of the provincial government.

The meeting was informed that Tochi Welfare Organisation had acquired the requisite land in Pir Kalay Tappi at the junction of three subdivisions of North Waziristan where all the people of the district would benefit from the project.

The meeting was also told that the objective of the Education City is to create a competitive educational ambience that would provide people of the district with quality higher education. It would also reduce the dropout rate at the postgraduate level.

The chief minister was informed that the purpose of establishing Education City was to increase the literacy rate in North Waziristan, which is considered to be the lowest among all the newly merged districts.

The project will also promote women’s education and provide technical education to people, enabling them to earn their livelihood.

The participants of the meeting were also briefed on the Education City Development Plan. Under the master plan, the Education City will consist of private universities, UET North Waziristan University, Agriculture University, hostels, water reservoirs, mosques, medical college and teaching hospital, sports complex, emergency services, government university of Waziristan and community spaces. The cost of the project will be Rs1.5 billion, for which feasibility has been carried out.