FAISALABAD – Hundreds of students and teachers from the Government College University (GCU) Faisalabad protested against the devolution of Pakistan Higher Education Commission (HEC) to the provinces. The students carrying placards and banners were demanding the reversal of the decision which, according to them, is likely to split the whole education system into pieces.
They also threatened to initiate a long march to Islamabad if the decision was not reverted. “This is a wrong decision taken at a wrong time as the education sector is already declining”, said a student and added that the higher education system that was already struggling to swim in a dry river would crash owing the policy change.
Pakistan needed at least 5,000 PhDs every year whereas it was having only 200 that were quite disproportionate to the demand, another student said, adding that once the HEC was entrusted to the provinces, the figures would further decline due to incapacity, financial difficulties and lack of organisation.
It was a political decision to control the HEC which, under its incumbent chairman, started showing teeth to the government during the fake degree scandal involving dozens of parliamentarians, said a professor. He added the government had punished the HEC for standing up against the system that prompted it to cut the size of the HEC which was going too far from its limit.
He further said the provinces had already wrecked the education system in their respective domains paving the way for a parallel private education network in the country. A protester said, “We appeal to Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary to take suo moto notice of the decision to save the system of higher education in the country.”
A student said that intellectuals and intelligentsia were asking since long to enforce an educational emergency in the country to uplift the future generations of Pakistan. He further said instead of taking steps in the right directions, the political leadership had started running backward. “It is time for the government to realise its mistake and rectify it by withdrawing the decision regardless of any feeling of egotism or political prestige”, said an academic analyst.
Traders demand police patrolling to end street crimes: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Javed Iqbal must direct the Faisalabad police to strengthen patrolling in the residential areas to stop the increasing street crimes. It was demanded by the Anjuman-e-Tajiran City Faisalabad during their emergency meeting called to discuss the deteriorating state of law and order in the city.
The officials in the meeting angrily reacted to the lack of proper patrolling and termed the current situation a security failure. “The helplessness of the robbery victims and police’s inability to catch the offenders have reached a peak”, said Anjuman-e-Tajiran City Faisalabad President Khawaja Shahid Razzaq Sakka and added that CM and IG could well imagine the plight of the citizens of Faisalabad where the registration of about three dozens cases of thefts and robberies per day is just ‘business as usual’ for the police.
The meeting was attended by Anjumane-Tajiran Punjab President Muhammad Nawaz Vohra and a large number of local businessmen who said in all the rural and urban areas of the district, drug dealers and illegal lucky committees were openly operating. The other day, during an Rs 15 million robbery, a security guard died in Batala Colony area due to suffocation when dacoits stuffed a heavy piece of cloth in his mouth to stop him from shouting for help.
In another incident, the citizens held a protest rally after dacoits shot two brothers dead and wounded three members of family in a robbery at Chukera village under the jurisdiction of Ghulam Muhammadabad Police Station.
Last month, the citizens of Faisalabad were robbed of Rs 30.25 million, 239 motorcycles, 34 cars, 534 mobiles and a large quantity of gold jewelry in total 150 cases of theft, robbery and street crimes.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aftab Ahmed Cheema, in a Khuli Katchehary at Tandlianwala this week, said that public guidance was an important mile stone towards the police reform. He requested the public to endorse and appreciate the good work of the police officers to instill in them a sense of public confidence and said the police and public had to fight against the common social problems leading to crimes.
