LAKKI MARWAT: University of Science and Technology Bannu Vice-chancellor Prof Aurangzeb Khan inaugurated olive research model garden on the premises of the varsity on Tuesday. He along with higher education department regional director Prof Abdul Hadi, faculty members and students planted olive saplings in the garden. The plants were dominated to the university by the provincial minister for agriculture, Mohammad Sajjad. Islamic studies department chairman of the university, Prof Amir Nawaz Khan, Prof Sultan Mehmood, Prof Jamshed Khan and Mohammad Nawaz Khan were also present. The vice-chancellor and other speakers highlighted the importance of olive tree plantation and said that establishment of research garden would have positive impacts as it would benefit people in the economic, environment and health fields. “Olive trees have a long lifespan with the longest productive life,” a speaker claimed, saying that local weather conditions were favourable for olive cultivation and there was the need to boost it in the southern region. Speakers said that the olive garden would provide students with opportunities to carry out research on olive farming. They said that a Quranic garden had also been set up on the premises of varsity to benefit research-oriented students of Islamic studies and botany departments.