The 28th meeting of the governing body of Higher Education Commission (HEC) approved MoU between HEC and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) aiming at enchaining the quality of law education in Pakistan.
Through this MoU, HEC in collaboration with PBC will be responsible for developing and furnishing policy guidelines to revamp and strengthen the process of accreditation of law programmes. They will also develop the criteria for recognition of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, curriculum and criteria for appointment of faculty. The Pakistan Bar Council will establish a Legal Education Accreditation Committee (LEAC) which will be responsible for execution of the policies and criteria.
The provisions of “Good Practices for Quality Assurance for Accreditation Councils in Pakistan” approved by the Higher Education Commission and that of rules framed by the Pakistan Bar Council shall be binding on the LEAC.
The commission expressed concern over the opening of new universities and grant of charters without obtaining NOC from HEC. The commission referred to its earlier decision in a meeting held on November 30, 2010 wherein it was strongly recommended that the universities established not meeting the criteria for the establishment of a new institutions and not obtaining an NOC from HEC will not be recognized. The Standard Operating Procedures for Establishment of a new university has been approved by the Federal Cabinet in its meeting held on February 27, 2002 and assented to by the chancellors’ committee
The commission felt that good governance, effective management, quality standards and necessary infrastructure are the basic parameters that determine academic and research performance of higher education institutions in particular and guarantee promotion of higher education in the country in general. To make an effective start, it is imperative that institutions of higher learning at the stage of their establishment in public and private sector must meet all requirements of Federal Cabinet Criteria. The provincial governments and the offices of the universities’ Chancellor should ensure that the process of establishment of new university/DAI is carried out in light of the Cabinet Criteria and HEC guidelines.
The meeting was chaired by HEC Chairperson Dr. Javaid R. Laghari and attended by Federal Ministry of Education and Training Secretary Qamar Zaman Ch., Ministry of S&T Fedral Secretary Ikhlaq Tarar, Sindh Agriculture University Tandogam Vice Chancllor Prof. Dr. A.Q Mughal, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Vice Chancllor Prof. Dr. Ihsan, SALU Khairpur former vice-chancellor, Prof. Dr. Nilofar Shaikh KPK UET Peshawar, Vice Chancellor Engr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, BUITMS Quetta Vice-Chancellor Engr. Ahmed Farooq Bazai,
NDU Islamabad former president, Lt. Gen. Agha M. Umar Farooq, Senator Mrs. Razina Alam Khan and HEC Executive Director. Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed
