Police officials have confirmed that six gunmen have been killed.
One faction of the Pakistan Taliban, the Dara Adma Khel splinter group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, the chief of the Pakistan Taliban, Fazlullah, condemned the attack in a statement, adding that those using the group’s name would be brought to justice.
The university has over 3,000 enrolled students and was hosting an additional 600 visitors on Wednesday for a poetry recital on the death anniversary of the Pashtun activist Abdul Ghaffar “Bacha” Khan, the university’s vice chancellor said.
“Around 200 students have been safely evacuated from an examination hall in the university,” Provincial Public Health Engineering Minister Shah Farman said.
Local authorities have announced the closure of all education institutions across Charsadda until January 31.
Deputy Inspector General Saeed Wazir told Reuters news agency that police had moved into the building and a gunfight with the attackers took place.
Shabir Khan, a lecturer at the English department, said he was about to leave the hostel for the department when the shooting began.
“Most of the students and staff were in the classes when the firing began,” Khan said.
On Tuesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up close to a police checkpoint in the Jamrud area of northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.
At least 144 people, most of them children, were killed when armed men attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014.
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)