The Imperial College London on Tuesday rejected claims of the Punjab government that the varsity plans to open an overseas campus at Nawaz Sharif I.T. City in Lahore, maintaining all its campuses are based in the U.K.
“There have been erroneous reports in the media and online that Imperial is opening a campus at Nawaz Sharif I.T. City in Lahore,” read the varsity’s statement. “Reports that Imperial College London plans to open a campus overseas are incorrect. Imperial has no such plans, with all the university’s campuses based in the U.K.,” it added.
The clarification followed Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb claiming in a post on X that the Imperial College plans to establish an overseas campus in Nawaz Sharif I.T. City, I addition to a 300-bed hospital. She said the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, adding the foundation stone of the hospital would be laid in November.
The post was subsequently shared by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)’s official account, as well as the chief minister and the Punjab government.
The Nawaz Sharif I.T. City was officially inaugurated in May 2024, with the chief minister stating that several international tech giants were interested in establishing offices there. Spanning 853 acres, the project offers tax-free premises for a period of 10 years.