ISLAMABAD:Chairman Association of Private Sector Universities Pakistan (APSUP), Prof. Dr. Ch. Abdul Rehman through a letter urged revision in intake limit for annual admissions in the architecture programs.
The letter was addressed to Federal Ministers for Planning and Development, Federal Education and Professional Development and Chairman Pakistan Council of Architecture and Town Planning, mentioning that the Pakistani real estate sector is one of the most productive economic sectors in Pakistan which is representing 2% of the GDP, said a press release issued here on Tuesday.
According to the letter, World Bank place the sector’s size between $300 and $400 billion while it also it sustains more than 40 allied industries including cement, kiln, ceramics, sanitary fittings, glass manufacturing, steel, furniture, and electronics.
The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2021-2022 also reported that the construction sector’s share in employment had increased to 9.5 percent during the fiscal year 2020-21.
This fact determines that the sector helped us survive the unprecedented economic threats posed by the pandemic Covid-19, the chairman mentioned.
According to the letter, the devastating floods in 2022 affected nearly 33 Million people and destroyed millions of houses across the five provinces of Pakistan, along with causing immense destruction to the infrastructure with thousands of kilometers of roads and huge bridges abolished.
“To combat this devastation, there is an utmost need of building millions of new houses and repair infrastructure on an urgent basis,” it said.
Chairman APSUP mentioned that this ongoing rehabilitation requires expert architects who can provide maximum utility to homeowners, and ensure sustainability in design and space utilization.
The chairman stated that the growing population and urbanization in Pakistan have also amplified the demand for housing and subsequent infrastructural facilities creating a high demand for expert town planners, and architects.
Chairman APSUP further mentioned that in the wake of this acute need for preparing qualified architects, the recent restriction on intake for the B-Arc program has cast shadows over the sector as well as aspiring architects’ future.
He added that there is ample proof that schools of architecture in universities across Pakistan have been efficiently engaged in uplifting the profession by producing competent architects, including internationally acclaimed among them.
However, the recent restriction on the intake is causing a major financial setback to the institutions, as the reduction in intake number from 60 to 45 is incurring annual losses worth several million rupees for each of these institutes.
He informed me that in this situation a number of architecture departments in the private sector are considering halting their degree programs as it is not financially viable for them to run these programs anymore.
The Chairman APSUP urged that since this restriction is similar to restricting the flourishing profession with the utmost employment potential in Pakistan and abroad, the concerned authorities should be cognizant of the industry’s requirements and allow universities in Pakistan to run this program as per the previous practice.