Contrary to claims made by the Punjab government under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Imperial College London has firmly refuted reports suggesting that the university will establish an overseas campus at Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, the prestigious UK-based institution clarified that the circulating reports were “incorrect.” The statement read: “There have been erroneous reports in the media and online that Imperial is opening a campus at Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore.
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 UK.”
The clarification came shortly after Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), announcing that Imperial College London would establish a campus and a 300-bed hospital in Lahore’s Nawaz Sharif IT City.
According to her post, the decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, with the foundation stone for the hospital expected to be laid in November.
The claim was widely circulated on social media, gaining further credibility after it was reposted by both the PML-N’s official X account and CM Maryam Nawaz herself. The Punjab government’s official X handle also amplified the same claim.
However, Imperial College London’s categorical denial has raised questions about the accuracy of the Punjab government’s announcement and the process through which such information was shared publicly.
The university’s statement appears to have put an end to speculation surrounding its supposed expansion into Pakistan, reaffirming that it remains a UK-based institution with no overseas campuses planned at this time.
The episode has prompted criticism online, with many questioning the credibility of official government communication and the verification of international partnerships.
