LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari formally inaugurated the University of Larkano here on Thursday.
Accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, he said it was a pleasure to see opportunities for knowledge, research and advancement widening for young people in Larkana and surroundingareas.
Established under the University of Larkano Act, 2023,passed by the Sindh Assembly on July 24, 2023, the university formally commenced operations on Jan i, 2024.
He said that leaving home for higher education should be a matter of choice for young people, not a compulsion.
He expressed hope that research conducted at the university would increase crop yields, help solve urban problems and open up new avenues of progress for young people.
Noting that Larkana has left a deep mark on the country’s politicalhistory, he hoped that graduates of the University of Larkano would excel in the world of knowledge and research and help build the country’s future.
On the occasion, he also toured the university’s departments of social sciences and humanities, engineering and technology, agricultural sciencesand law and interacted with faculty members.
He also planted a sapling on the campus during his visit.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naik Muhammad Shaikh briefed Mr Bhutto-Zardari on the university’s establishment, academic structure and the various departments.
Dr Shaikh explained that the University of Larkano was formed by merging the former Larkana campuses of the University of Sindh and Quaidi-Awam University, along with the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Agricultural College and the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Law College.
He added that the university has been established to contribute to the educational, social and economic development of Larkana and the whole of Sindh, and to give the region’s youth better opportunities for higher education.
The chief minister also briefed the party chairman on the university’s academic, administrative, financial and developmental profile, along with its key challenges and future requirements.
The briefing highlighted the need for additional financial assistance, infrastructure rehabilitation, development funding and institutional support to strengthen the university and expand access to higher education in Larkana Division and adjoining underserved areas of Sindh.
The university hasapproximately 528.5 acres of land spread across its various campuses, including 350 acres at the Arija Main Campus, 150 acres at the Faculty of Agriculture Sciences in Dokri and facilities at Airport Road and Wagan Road.
The chief minister informed the PPP chairman that the university currently comprises five faculties, 16 departments and 26 academic programmes, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral education in engineering and technology, agriculture, management sciences, commerce, social sciences, humanities and natural sciences.
Emerging disciplines, including Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering and Computer Science, arealso being offered.
According to the briefing, the university has an actual student enrolment of 2,875 against a budgeted capacity of 3,206 for 2026.
The institution has 78 regular and 21 contractual faculty members, while its administrative workforce includes 324 regular employees, 11 contractual staff and 41 contingentpaid employees. The number of PhD faculty members stands at 34for 202526, with a projection of 35 for the next academic year.
Regarding its financial position for FY 2026-27, the university has estimated total available resources of Rs894.5 million, consisting of Rs632m in provincial grant-in-aid and Rs262.5m from its own resources. No grantfrom the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been allocated.
The briefing also highlighted a projected annual budget deficit of Rs524.3m, requiring additional recurring financial support from the provincial government to ensure uninterrupted academic and administrative operations.
The university requires urgent rehabilitation of its Arija Main Campus, which was used as a flood relief camp during the devastating 2022 noods.
Improvement of academic facilities, laboratories, hostels and other supporting infrastructure was identified as a key priority.
The chief minister also sought government support for completing the pending merger of Shaheed Benazir BhuttoLaw College Larkano and facilitating the university’s eligibility for HEC recurring and development grants under the applicable criteria.
Thebriefingunderscored that timely financial assistance, approval of pending development schemes and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure would be critical to strengthening the university’s academic capacity and enabling it to serve students from Larkana Division and surrounding areas.
PPP-Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, Sindh Assembly Speaker Awais Qadir Shah, PPP leaders Aijaz Khan Jakhrani and Sohail Anwar Siyal, SHEC chairman Prof Tariq Rafi and other officials and party leaders were also present.