Islamabad: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved an amendment to the city’s master plan proposal for setting up the Islamabad National University (INU) within the confines of the Prime Minister’s (PM) House, a news source reported. The original blueprint did not allow for the establishment of the said educational institute inside this compound, a news source reported.
Prior to the alterations, the authorities concerned could not repurpose the PM House for educational purposes because this act would violate the master plan; since the Sector G-5 (which hosts the premier’s official residence) was initially reserved for the construction of government and administrative buildings.
To facilitate the establishment of a university within the vast premises of the PM House, the federal cabinet approved a revision in the master plan for 50 acres of land of the building. ‘The total area of PM House could be more than 100 acres. The 50 acres in question is situated on north western side of building towards Bari Imam side,’ said an official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Previously, Prof Dr Attaur Rehman, former chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), held a meeting with the premier during which he proposed the establishment of six centres of excellence at INU. Moreover, five centres of excellence dedicated to teaching artificial intelligence courses were also proposed for the federal capital and the provinces.
Meanwhile, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said that the university would offer courses on bio-technology and artificial intelligence to promote knowledge-based learning among the youth.
