PESHAWAR: The classes at the first ever varsity for the students belonging to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) will commence on October 24, at Darra Ademkhel.
Assistant Director Planning and Development Liaquat Khan said that the government has recently issued funds to materialize the dream of a separate university for the Tribal Areas.
“Initially the university will start its classes along with its administration at recently renovated building of Government Degree College Akhurwal in Darra Ademkhel”, Liaquat Khan said.
He said beside 266 kanals of land additionally 200 more Kanals of land has been purchased where proper buildings for the FATA University will constructed in period of five years.
The P&D Director Liaquat Khan told Daily Times that admission in BBA or four-year Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science of four-year, BS programme in mathematics, political science and sociology has been started.
Liaquat Khan said that Search Committee has appointed Tahir Shah as the Vice Chancellor (VC) a retired professor from National Center of Excellence Geology Department University of Peshawar (UoP).
As per the documents available with Daily Times the ex-President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari for the first time extended the Higher Education Commission ordinance to FATA for the establishment of the Fata University.
He also in 2011 constituted a Search Committee for the appointment of the VC and project director other staff for the University but the project could not implement.
As per the documents of FATA University apart from recent allocation of funds People Party (PPP) had announced Rs 4.70 million in the first phase but the university could not be started at the time. He also said the college where the university will operate was the property of FATA University which was destroyed in a bomb blast, adding that the building has been renovated and modified and Governor KP Iqbal Zafar Jhagra special attention make the dream true.
Tahir Shah Vice Chancellor of FATA University said that according to the rules laid down in the statute of the university in 2013, besides students from tribal areas, students across the country could submit applications for admission.
“At the moment there is no shortage of funds. However, we need more land,” said Dr Shah. “The university has around 466 kanals of land and wants to buy around 200 kanals more. Work on master plan would be completed by December this year,” Dr Tahir Shah added. The official at the FATA Secretariat told this scribe that it would require more land to construct more buildings to adjust more students in other disciplines at the university. More funds and land would be required to finally turn this college into a full-fledged university.