ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has, to date, dispatched 90 percent of the course materials to as many as seven hundred thousand students enrolled in the varsity’s spring semester, 2016. The spokesman of the AIOU told media sources on Thursday that timely mailing the course books to students was a big challenge this year, largely, because of the increase in enrolment. However, he said, the project was undertaken in a collaboration with the Pakistan Post and had been initiated on a fast-track basis, with an aim to complete it by the end of this month (June). He noted that to expedite the process, the Mailing Department was actively engaged and working both day and night shifts to meet the scheduled target of dispatching books in the given timeline, as directed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Shahid Siddiqui. He said that the VC at AIOU attaches great importance to the provision of the best possible services to students both in terms of admissions and timely mailing of textbooks. All books have already been mailed to students of matriculation, BA, PTC, CT and B.Ed programs while those in the post-graduate programs are still being mailed materials and will be completed soon. A new computerised tracking system has already been introduced, to facilitate thousands of students, who can check the status of their shipments. The new computerised tracking system has recently been developed to allow students to track their packages by simply entering their roll numbers and registration numbers on the website. The students have also been advised to contact their relevant post offices in the event of delays in their books deliveries. The relevant staff has also been advised to ensure accuracy in the mailing system to avoid any inconvenience at the students level, he added. In the case of delay in the receipt of books, students have also been advised to contact the University’s helpline at 051-111-112-468 or mailing@aiou.edu.pk via email.