Imperial College London has denied claims made by the Punjab government that it is opening a campus at the Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore. The university clarified that all of its campuses are based in the United Kingdom and that no plans exist to expand overseas.
The clarification came after the PML-N, in a post on X on October 18, stated that a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had decided to establish a campus of Imperial College London at the Nawaz Sharif IT City. The post also mentioned that a foundation stone would be laid in November and that a 300-bed modern hospital would be built within the campus.
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had echoed the same announcement in a separate post on X, which has since been deleted.
In a statement published on its official website, Imperial College called the reports “incorrect.” It said, “There have been erroneous reports in the media and online that Imperial is opening a campus at Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, Pakistan. Imperial has no such plans, with all the university’s campuses based in the UK.”
The university further directed individuals seeking information about its international work to visit its International Relations Office webpage.
The Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), also known as the Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab), issued an official clarification stating that the mentioned project actually involves NovaCare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, not Imperial College London, for establishing a Healthcare University and an affiliated medical college at the Central Business District in Nawaz Sharif IT City.
“The upcoming Healthcare University and Affiliated Medical College at CBD NSIT is a collaborative initiative between NovaCare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK) — an independent NHS institution,” CBD Punjab said in a statement.
“The project remains firmly on track under the NovaCare-ICHT partnership, advancing our mission to establish a world-class hub for healthcare education, research, and innovation at CBD NSIT, Lahore, under the direct supervision of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (UK).”
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