The implementation of 18th constitutional amendment in education & health sector and autonomy of universities should be ensured. It was resolved by the participants at a round table dialogue on “6 Years of 18th Constitutional Amendment: Equity and Autonomy of Universities” organized by Pakistan Social Services Partnership, coalition of 85 civil society organizations at the local hotel of Islamabad. The event was presided over by former secretary Election Commission of Pakistan Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad.
The unanimous resolution states: that monitoring and advocacy Committee, comprising of stakeholders and representatives from all provinces should be formed, organize similar dialogues in all provinces and formulate and advocate a Position Paper addressing the subject issue in an articulated way based on wider consultative process; the autonomy of universities and academic freedom at Campuses must be respected by Federal/ Provincial HECs, as per true spirit of 18th constitutional amendment; a new Commission on education standards be formed by Federal Government as per mandated by the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which should repeal the existing one; the next NFC Award must be finalized and announced immediately so that every province has adequate resources for education and health; the ban on student must be lifted immediately. The participants also demanded that 18th amendment should be implemented in education and health sectors in true letter and spirit.
Kanwar Muhammad Javed Iqbal, Chairperson PSSP, Gulbaz Ali Khan, Executive Director, Centre for Inclusive Governance, Zafarullah Khan, Executive Director, Centre for Civic Education Pakistan, Tariq Mahmood Jaehangiri, President, Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Former President Federal Union of Journalists, Muhammad Afzal Butt Dr. Asif Ali, President Academic Staff Association, Quaid-e-Azam, University, Islamabad and Dr. Zafar Iqbal, President, Academic Staff Association, International Islamic University, Islamabad also spoke on the occasion.
Executive Director Centre for Civic Education Pakistan, Zafarullah Khan in his keynote address said that historic 18th Constitutional Amendment was unanimously passed by the Parliament this Amendment introduced changes to about 36 per cent of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan: 102 out of 280 Articles of the Constitution were amended. After the abolition of concurrent list, education and health have become provincial matters. But in spite of lapse of six years, the implementation of this important constitutional amendment is still pending. He said that universities are autonomous bodies and their autonomy should be respected.
