–Sources say govt also planning to set up ‘Prime Minister Reforms Unit’
ISLAMABAD: As many as 22 names have been finalised for the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood-led ‘National Task Force on Education’, enunciating the government’s resolve to bring about the much-needed change in the education sector.
Sources privy to the development told Pakistan Today that the list had been put up for a final approval and the official notification would be issued after the approval of the competent authority.
They said that the mandate of the task force would be to enrol 25 million out-of-school children, suggest a uniform education system for the country and ensure quality education as well as skills development for all.
Besides Shafqat Mahmood, other members of the task force include Federal Secretary for Education Arshad Mirza and education ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In addition to this, ex-federal education minister Dr Sania Nishtar, LUMS Rector Syed Babar Ali, former PDR deputy chairman Dr Nadeemul Haq, HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri, BISP Chairman Dr Mehmood Memon, NUST Dean Brig (r) Abdul Ghafoor, Institute of Social and Policy Sciences Chairman Dr Salman Hamayun, Citizens Foundation Chairman Mushtaq Ahmed Chapara, Beaconhouse National University VC Dr Shahid Hafeez Kardar, Red Foundation founder Mehmood Ahmed, Buitems Quetta VC Engineer Ahmed Farooq, Rupani Foundation Chairman Nasiruddin Rupani, Sardar Bhadarkhan Women University Quetta VC Prof Dr Rukhsana Jabeen, LUMS Business School former dean Dr Arif Nazir Butt, Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahel-e-Sunnat President Mufti Muneebur Rehman and Wafaqul Madarastul Arbia Nazim-e-Aala Maulana Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari would be members of the task force.
Moreover, Hunar Foundation Chairman Aslam Khaliq, Hunar Foundation Advisor Syed Javed Hassan and NAVTTC Executive Director Zulfiqar Ali Cheema would be the co-opted members of the taskforce.
Sources further said that the Federal Education Ministry would be re-organised and separate wings would be set up in the ministry that would be responsible to look into different issues related to education.
They said that four sub-committees would also be constituted and members of the taskforce would be divided among them as per the members’ respective expertise.
“All these committee would discuss the issues threadbare on technical points and then they will present their recommendations before the meeting of the National Task Force on Education. The government would also seek support from private organisations that will present a report on problems in education in all four provinces and their possible solutions,” sources said.
They said that the government was also planning to set up a ‘Prime Minister Reforms Unit’ in the PM House like the one set up by the outgoing PML-N government under Maryam Nawaz.
The PM Reforms Unit would be headed by Arbab Shehzad, Advisor to PM on Establishment, wherein separate units on education, health, youth policies and police reforms etc. in the provinces would be established which would be headed by people with relevant experience.
They said that the task force on education would only give recommendations; however, when the PM Reform Unit would be established, it would be tasked to bring actual reforms in the policy.
