MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Dec 3 (Pajhwok Afghan News): The government of Pakistan will construct new building for the Engineering Department at Balk University.

This was disclosed by Deans of the Balkh University Habibullah Habib while speaking to Pajhwok Afghan News on Sunday. The building will be constructed at the cost of 10 million US dollars.

Habib said that it would be a five-storey building, which would accommodate about 2,500 students. He said all preparations had been completed while construction work on the building would start shortly.

He hoped the building would be ready in the coming 18 months. It would solve problems of students, who are studying in the old building at the moment.

He said they had selected a new site for the university, which is situated in the Shar-i-Naw area of the city. The new building of the university, including the building for the Engineering Department, would be constructed at 600 acres of land at the cost of $250 million.

Habib informed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had donated $8.5 million for construction of the Economics Department. The rest of amount, he said, would be provided by the international community.  

Students of the university hailed the support pledged by the international community for construction of the new building. Mohammad Jamshid, student of the Engineering Department, said the existing building could not accommodate the students. "I hope the problem will be solved soon."

Ahmad Walid Obaidi, another student, also expressed the same feelings and appreciated the support by the international community. About 6,000 students - 4,000 male and 2,000 female - are presently studying in various departments of the university.

Ahmad Naim Qadiri

mnm/dk