Bilawal Bhutto gets update on Larkano University's academic, development needs

LARKANA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah gave Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a briefing on the academic, administrative, financial, and developmental needs of the University of Larkano, as well as its major challenges and future needs, during the visit on Thursday.

In order to boost the university and provide access to higher education in Larkana Division and nearby underprivileged areas of Sindh, the briefing emphasized the need for additional financial assistance, infrastructure restoration, development funds, and institutional support.

The institution officially opened for business on January 1, 2024, having been founded under the institution of the Larkano Act, 2023, which was approved by the Sindh Assembly on July 24, 2023. Four public-sector campuses and institutions—QUEST Campus Larkano, University of Sindh Larkano Campus, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Agriculture College Dokri, and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Law College Larkano—merged to form it. The merger is still pending.

The university has approximately 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 programs, 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, are also being offered.

According to the briefing, the university has an actual student enrollment 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 contingent-paid employees. The number of PhD faculty members stands at 34 for 2025-26, 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 Rs894.568 million, comprising Rs632 million in provincial grant-in-aid and Rs262.568 million from its own resources. No grant from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been allocated.

The briefing also highlighted a projected annual budget deficit of Rs524.311 million, requiring additional recurring financial support from the provincial government to ensure uninterrupted academic and administrative operations.

On the development side, the university has submitted a modified revised PC-I of Rs1.486 billion for the existing QUEST Campus Larkano development scheme. The original project, approved at Rs2.637 billion in 2011, underwent revisions in 2017 and 2021, but revised administrative approval was not issued. The modified proposal, with a reduced scope, was submitted to the Planning and Development Department in March 2026.

To address the university’s immediate institutional and infrastructure needs, a distinct new development proposal for Rs2.03 billion has also been submitted. The proposed project will be implemented over three fiscal years, from 2026-2027 to 2028-2029, with a capital cost of Rs1.513 billion and revenue costs of Rs521.047 million.

In order to complete the ongoing merger of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Law College Larkano and make the university eligible for HEC recurring and development funds under the applicable criteria, the CM also sought government cooperation.

HEC Chairman Prof. Tariq Rafi, PPP leaders Aijaz Khan, Jakhrani, and Sohail Anwar Siyal, Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Awais Qadir Shah, PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro, and other officials and party leaders were also present at the event.