Ayesha Saba

The government is planning two initiatives to expand quality higher education in underserved regions of South Punjab. According to a document available with Wealth Pakistan, proposals for establishing a public sector university in Muzaffargarh district and a science and technology institute in Rajanpur district are currently under consideration. According to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), these projects have the potential to significantly enhance academic and technical opportunities across South Punjab.

As per the document, the HEC has expanded its efforts to strengthen access to quality higher education across Pakistan, particularly in underserved and remote regions, through the establishment of new universities, sub-campuses, and targeted development initiatives. In recent years, several higher education institutions have been successfully established and are now fully operational.

These include Karakoram International University in Gilgit, the University of Baltistan in Skardu, the Hyderabad Institute for Technology and Management Sciences in Hyderabad, and the Kalam Bibi International Women Institute in Bannu. Collectively, these institutions are designed to address regional disparities by offering modern academic programs and expanding outreach to marginalized communities.

In addition to the establishment of new universities, the federal government has funded multiple campuses of federally and provincially chartered higher education institutions in far-flung districts.

These include sub-campuses of Air University, Islamabad, in Kharian and Kamra, COMSATS University, Islamabad, in Abbottabad, Vehari and Sahiwal, the National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, in Quetta and Mirpur, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, in Quetta, Institute of Space Technology.

Islamabad, in Dr A. Q. Khan Institute of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Kahuta, Rawalpindi, and National Skills University, Islamabad, in Kala Shah Kaku.  Campuses of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta, have been established in Pishin and Khuzdar, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, in Dera Murad Jamali, and BUITEMS, Quetta, in Muslim Bagh and Zhob. Similarly, IBA Sukkur’s campus has been set up in Mirpurkhas.

The Malakand University campus has been established in Batkhela, besides various study centres of Allama Iqbal Open University and Virtual University in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The initiative also includes support for private-sector campuses, such as those of The Riphah International University, Islamabad, in Sahiwal and Malakand; Ibadat International University, Islamabad, in Pakpattan; and National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad, in Chiniot and Faisalabad.

These expansions reflect a whole-of-sector approach to meet growing educational needs across provinces. Furthermore, the Balochistan government has formally requested that the National University of Technology, Islamabad, establish a campus in Quetta. A 20-acre site has been earmarked in Education City for the project, and a PC-I is being prepared for submission to the relevant authorities.

Credit: INP-WealthPk