‘No Such Plans’: Imperial College London Denies Maryam Nawaz’s Claim Of New Lahore Campus

Punjab (Pakistan) Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, (AP file photo)

Imperial College London has denied recent claims by the Pakistan’s Punjab government, led by Maryam Nawaz, that it will open a new campus in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City. The UK-based university stated unequivocally that it has no plans to establish a campus outside the United Kingdom.

The controversy began on October 18, when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced via its official X account that Imperial College London would open a campus in Lahore.

The post claimed that the foundation stone for the campus would be laid in November and that the development would include a modern 300-bed hospital. The announcement was widely shared before the post was subsequently deleted.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had officially launched the Nawaz Sharif IT City project in May last year, describing it as a major commercial development. She had highlighted that several international technology companies had expressed interest, with ten firms reportedly preparing to open offices within the 853-acre, tax-free zone, which benefits from a 10-year tax exemption, ThePrint reported.

However, Imperial College London quickly refuted the Punjab government’s announcement. In an official statement released on Tuesday, the university said, “Reports that Imperial College London plans to open a campus overseas are incorrect.”

The statement added, “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 urged prospective students and the public to refer only to official Imperial College communications for accurate information regarding any developments.