LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that the first information technology university of the country is being set up in the provincial metropolis and special funds will be allocated for this purpose in the next financial year.
He said that provincial government will provide free of cost land for Punjab Technology University (PTU) which will be managed by an autonomous board so that it should have the highest standard of computer education. He said that the first campus of PTU has been set up on the sixth floor of Arfa Karim Software Technology Park where classes will be started from September this year.
More than one thousand boy and girl students will be equipped with modern education in computer science in this campus while six thousand students will study in the permanent campus of PTU at Dera Rakh Chahal on Ring Road. He said that special attention is being paid to research and development in the university and the time will soon come when it will be able to compete with the leading international universities.
He was addressing a function after soft opening of the project of Punjab Technology University(PTU) at Arfa Karim Software Technology Park, here today. Provincial Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr. Javed Leghari, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board Dr. Umar Saif, Secretary Higher Education Ijaz Rahim, intellectuals, columnists and experts in IT education were present.
The Chief Minister said that on the occasion of 2008 elections, he had announced that he will transform the palace-like office at 8-Club Road into IT university for women but unfortunately this project has become a victim of red tapism. He said that he has never entered into this palatial building but the promise made on elections has been honoured today.
He said that IT education will be started for one thousand boy and girl students in PTU from September this year and the educational expenses of five hundred brilliant deserving students will be paid from Punjab Educational Endowment Fund. He said that Punjab government has decided to set up Knowledge City over 705 acres land at Dera Rakh Chahal near Ring Road. He said that the permanent campus of Punjab Technology University will be established with the collaboration of Middle East Technical University of Turkey.
He said that there is a need to set up universities of a high standard and equip the young generation with modern education for achieving the objective of progress and prosperity. He said that establishment of Punjab Technology University is an important step towards creation of an Islamic welfare state in the light of the ideals of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.
Commenting on the energy crisis, the Chief Minister said that Pakistan is immersed in darkness and there is anger and resentment in the people against the rulers. He said that he is with the people who are protesting against the unjust and discriminatory attitude towards Punjab, but they should not damage public property.
He said that loadshedding is the result of the wrong policies and plunder of rulers and as long as the money looted from the country is not brought back, corruption is not stopped and effective steps are not taken to check power theft, the same situation will persist which cannot be tolerated for a long time.
Replying to the question of media-men, he said that if the corrupt rulers return the money looted from the country, Punjab Bank, NICL, Hajis and the loans which were written off on political basis, Punjab will be the first to contribute its share for the repayment of circular debt. In response to a question about unemployment, he said that it is the result of closure of industries due to loadshedding, corruption and wrong policies of inefficient rulers.
Courtesy: The Frontier Post
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