A major announcement from Punjab’s government has been contradicted by the very institution at its center.
Imperial College London has officially denied claims made by the Punjab government about opening a campus in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City, stating clearly that all its campuses are located exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The confusion started when PML-N and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made an exciting announcement on X (formerly Twitter).
She stated that a new Imperial College campus would be established in Lahore, complete with a state-of-the-art 300-bed teaching hospital. The announcement even included specific details, mentioning that the foundation stone ceremony was scheduled for November, making it sound like a done deal.
This wasn’t just a casual social media post either. The announcement came following an official meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, lending it significant governmental credibility.
Given Imperial College London’s prestigious global reputation as one of the world’s top universities, particularly in science, engineering, and medicine, the news generated considerable excitement across Pakistan’s education sector.
However, Imperial College London has now officially refuted the entire claim. The institution clarified that it has no collaboration, partnership, or expansion plans involving Pakistan. All Imperial College campuses remain in the UK, with no international campuses anywhere in the world.
This creates an embarrassing situation for the Punjab government. Either there was a serious miscommunication somewhere in the planning process, or the announcement was made prematurely before any formal agreement was actually reached with Imperial College.
The denial raises questions about due diligence in governmental announcements and highlights the importance of confirming partnerships before making public claims.
