Islamabad ‘:
The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to use 190 million pounds sterling or 54 billion rupees to build a university and schools in the public sector, which were initially handed over to Pakistan by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom. This money has become a key element in the conviction of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The government has chosen to use these frozen funds for the noble cause of providing education in emerging technologies.
The government of Imran Khan had previously adjusted the 54 billion rupees against private liabilities, a decision which led to its 14-year conviction in the case of large-scale Al-Qadir trust.
Government sources have told L’Express PK Press Club that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the use of funds for education purposes, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, who is the funding guard, also gave his consent.
According to the government’s decision, the 190 million pounds sterling will be allocated to the construction of Daanish University of emerging technologies in Islamabad, as well as Daanish schools in the poorest and most remote regions of the country.
The initiative of Daanish schools was launched by Shehbaz Sharif in 2010 in Punjab to provide modern education and leisure facilities to children of disadvantaged families.
After the 18th constitutional amendment, education is a provincial matter, but the federal government has decided to build these Daanish schools in the backward zones.
The eligibility criteria for admission to Daanish schools require that the student’s parents have died or that the family be among the poorest, according to the Benazir income support cards. The seats are also distributed between boys and girls, provided they meet the admission criteria.
Funds will be used to establish “the peak research university with an endowment [ensure] Autosustainability and amount of equilibrium [will be allocated to build] Some Daanish schools in backward areas, “said Ahsan Iqbal, federal planning minister while confirming development.
The Prime Minister made sure that Hsan Iqbal was going to an expert committee of 10 members, which will finalize the lists of schools and programs in emerging technologies.
In 2019, the UK NCA concluded a regulation agreement worth 190 million pounds sterling. The 190 million pounds sterling or 54 billion rupees had not returned to the federal government at that time. Instead, the money had been transferred directly to the Supreme Court account.
This year, the court of responsibility sentenced Imran Khan for 14 years and his wife Bushra Bibi for seven years in the Trust case in Al-Qadir. Shortly after the verdict, the Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, said that the money recovered by the NCA would be used for the well-being of the country.
The Supreme Court registrar was the chief operator of the designated account, who is modified to take control of these funds, government sources said.
Funds will not be spent as part of the public sector development program. Instead, a special vehicle will be set up to ensure that these funds do not go at the end of the financial year and remain available for training purposes.
The Prime Minister also responsible for forming an independent surveillance committee to ensure transparency in the use of these funds, the sources said.
Shehbaz Sharif will direct the steering committee for 11 members. Its members are the Minister of Planning, the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Minister of Law, the Minister of Federal Education, the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, the Secretary of Information Technologies, the Secretary Finance, the Secretary’s Education, the Planning of the Secretary and the President of the Capital Development Authority.
The supervisory committee will give strategic directives and will define the mission, vision and objectives of the university. It will also supervise the development of infrastructure, including the availability of land by the ADC and will approve the governance model.
The Committee led by PMs will also supervise the legislation for the creation of the University and will monitor its construction within 18 months, the sources said.
The Committee of Experts led by Ahsan Iqbal includes economists and educators and will finalize the lists of schools and programs in emerging technologies.
The Committee of Experts will provide the roadmap to academic programs, will publish research priorities and ensure collaboration with international excellence centers for exchange programs.
The sources have said that the university will operate as a trust with operational independence. A 20 -bed hospital will also be part of Danish University, according to the Prime Minister’s decision.
The Ministry of Planning has also been invited to guarantee appropriate approvals from the PC-IS of Daanish schools.
