ISLAMABAD’:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has decided to use £190 million or Rs54 billion for building a public sector university and schools, which were originally given to Pakistan by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA). This money became a key element in the conviction of former premier 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 earlier adjusted the Rs54 billion against private liabilities, a decision that led to his 14-year conviction in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case.
The government sources told The Express Tribune that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the use of the funds for education purposes, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which is the custodian of the funds, has also given its consent.
According to the government’s decision, the £190 million will be allocated for the construction of the Daanish University of Emerging Technologies in Islamabad, as well as Daanish schools in the country’s poorest and most remote areas.
The Daanish Schools Initiative was launched by Shehbaz Sharif in 2010 in Punjab to provide modern education and recreational facilities to children from under-privileged families.
After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, education is a provincial subject but the federal government has decided to construct these Daanish schools in the backward areas.
The eligibility criteria for admission to Daanish Schools require that either the student’s parents are deceased or the family is among the poorest, as per the Benazir Income Support Card registry. Seats are equally distributed between boys and girls, provided they meet the admission criteria.
The funds will be used for establishing the “state of the art research university with an endowment to [ensure] self-sustainability and the balance amount [will be allocated to build] a few Daanish Schools in the backward areas,” said Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning while confirming the development.
The prime minister has made Ahsan Iqbal head of a 10-member expert committee, which will finalise the lists of schools and programmes in emerging technologies.
In 2019, the NCA of the United Kingdom reached a settlement deal worth £190 million. The £190 million or Rs54 billion had not gone back to the federal government at that time. Instead, the money had been transferred directly into the account of the Supreme Court.
This year the accountability court convicted Imran Khan for 14 years and his wife Bushra Bibi for seven years in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Soon after the verdict, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had said that the money recovered by the NCA would be used for the nation’s welfare.
The Supreme Court registrar was the head operator of the designated account, which is being changed to take control of these funds, said the government sources.
The funds will not be spent through the Public Sector Development Programme. Instead a special purpose vehicle will be set up to make sure that these funds do not lapse at the end of the fiscal year and remain available for education purposes.
The prime minister has also instructed to form an independent oversight committee to ensure transparency in the utilisation of these funds, said the sources.
Shehbaz Sharif will head the 11-member steering committee. Its members are Minister for Planning, Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister for Law, Minister for Federal Education, Chairman Higher Education Commission, Secretary Information Technology, Secretary Finance, Secretary Education, Secretary Planning and Chairman of the Capital Development Authority.
The oversight committee will give strategic guidelines and define the university’s mission, vision and objectives. It will also supervise the infrastructure development including the land availability by the CDA and will approve the governance model.
The PM-led committee will also oversee the legislation for the establishment of the university and monitor its construction within 18 months, said the sources.
The Ahsan Iqbal-led expert committee comprises economists and educationists and will finalise the lists of schools and programmes in emerging technologies.
The expert committee will provide the roadmap for academic programmes, shortlist the research priorities and ensure collaboration with international centres of excellence for exchange programmes.
The sources said the university will operate as a Trust with operational independence. A 20-bed hospital will also be part of the Daanish University, according to the Prime Minister’s decision.
The planning ministry has also been instructed to ensure timely approvals of the PC-Is of the Daanish schools.
