PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak on Tuesday approved the establishment of the Air University on 400 kanals of land in Pirpyai village along the GT Road in Nowshera and asked the relevant authorities to ensure the handover of the land to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for it.

The PAF will have the university`s administrative control.

The development came during a meeting held here at the CM House to review the progress onthe establishment of this university as well as commercial aircraft maintenance college in Nowshera and the PAF Cadet College in Peshawar, said a statement issued here.

Public health engineering and information minister Shah Farman, principal adviser to the chief minister on aviation and technical education Air Commodore Mohammad Amin, principal secretary to the chief minister Mohammad Israr and irrigation, public health engineering and administration secretaries, Nowshera deputy commissioner and relevant officials attended the meeting.

The CM asked the authorities to expedite work on the project and complete it in the shortest possible time.

He declared the establishment of the said institutions amilestone step and said that its establishment unique in nature would have a far reaching impact not only on education sector but on the economy of the province.

`That will usher in a new era of prosperity in the province as new opportunities of employment, research and innovation will be explored in the region by it. It will impart all such skills and expertise to the youths of KP that are direly needed over here,` he said.

Mr Khattak said the Nowshera GT Road was very much suitable for such educational institutions due to its peculiar geographical location, while a number of educational institutions were already being set up in the same locality.

He said the promotion of aviation and technical education wastheneedofthehourandthebest way to address the core issue of unemployment.

The CM said the establishment of the Air University would promote aviation and technical education along modern and scientific lines and resultantly, not only the maximum employment opportunities would be provided to the jobless youths but industrial sector would also groom in the province.

`Our province has suffered great losses due to discontinuation of policies and lack of decision power in the last regimes but the same will not happen anymore. Now whatever decision is made, it will be implemented at all costs and that all schemes of national importance will never be thrown in the cold storage,` he said.

Mr Khattak said he hoped thatthe institutions would not be limited to imparting traditional education and training but that they would be hubs of researches and inventions wherein researches works of international standard would be carried out besides imparting all types of technical training.

`Ultimately, our young generation will be inclined towards creative activities and inventions,` he said.

The CM directed the authorities to adopt international standards in the planning, designing and construction of the universities and colleges.

The statement said the PAF authorities had assured the provincial government of all possible professional and technical assistance in the establishment and management of the specialised universities and colleges.