ISLAMABAD: The allocation of £192 million recently transferred from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Government of Pakistan, currently allocated for a new university in Islamabad. The stakeholders have urged authorities to instead channel the funds towards an urgent skills development initiative in Balochistan, the country’s most underprivileged and conflict-affected province.
In this sense, the funds are presently set to support the establishment of the Daanish University of Applied and Emerging Sciences in H-16 Islamabad, despite the capital already hosting 27 higher education institutions.
In this regard, referring to past ventures such as the Energy Centres of Excellence at NUST and UET Peshawar once envisioned to solve Pakistan’s energy crisis but later crippled by mismanagement and corruption the appeal warns against repeating history.
The appeal outlines a practical and cost-effective alternative: a “Skills Revolution” in Balochistan. Rather than constructing new buildings, the plan proposes utilizing existing classrooms in public schools and colleges during evening hours for vocational and language training.
So far, supporters of this redirection argue that over 70% of Balochistan’s graduates remain unemployed, trapped in a cycle of despair that fuels extremism and separatism.
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The proposal focuses with collaboration with existing institutions such as the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), National Logistics Cell (NLC), and international partners, ensuring swift and transparent implementation.
