Imperial College London has officially denied the Punjab government’s recent claim that it will open a new campus in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City. The announcement, made earlier this month, promised a modern facility complete with a 300-bed teaching hospital and a foundation-stone ceremony slated for November.
The confusion began when PML-N leaders and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb took to X to share details of the proposed campus. They said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz chaired a meeting that sealed the deal, hailing it as a landmark partnership for higher education and healthcare in Punjab.
However, in a statement released via its official channels, Imperial College London clarified that it has no plans to expand beyond its UK locations. “All Imperial College campuses are in London,” the statement read, adding that no agreement or memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Punjab government or any Pakistani institution.
This refutation has caused embarrassment for the provincial administration, which now faces questions over how the misinformation surfaced. Education experts point out that international campus openings typically involve lengthy negotiations, regulatory approvals and formal contracts, all of which were conspicuously absent in this case.
Moving forward, Punjab officials say they remain committed to attracting global universities but will ensure proper protocol is followed. For now, students and stakeholders are advised to await official updates directly from Imperial College before making any academic plans.
