Vice chancellors (VCs) of public universities on Thursday rejected the proposed HEC amendment bill and urged that the government not to amend the HEC Act.
They expressed these views at a press briefing. They said all stakeholders, including chancellors, provincial governments, vice chancellors, faculty and student associations and the Planning Commission should be taken onboard in this regard. They also demanded that the task force, formed by the PM’s High Powered Committee, should be notified so that consultation should be started. They also praised the assurance by Education Minister Sheikh Waqas Akram in a meeting with the VCs for assisting in the notification of the task force and arranging meeting of Vice Chancellors with the premier.
The vice chancellors included University of Gujrat VC Prof Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) VC Dr Nasir Jamal Khattak, Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences VC Ahmed Farooq Bazai, Karakoram International University VC Prof Dr Najma Najam, University of Agriculture Faisalabad VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Air University VC Dr Ijaz Ahmad Malik and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University VC Rai Niaz Ahmad. HEC Chairman Dr Javaid Laghari and HEC Executive Director Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmed were also present. Separately, Federal Education Minister Sheikh Waqas Akram on Thursday said the government fully supports autonomy and the independent status of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
He said this during a meeting held with the vice chancellors (VCs) of public universities in the Education Ministry. Issues related to the HEC and the proposed legislation were discussed in detail. The minister apprised the VCs that the government fully supports the autonomy and the independent status of the HEC. It is completely a false and baseless impression that the government is working to undermine the functional independence of HEC and to bring it under the control of the Education Ministry. The HEC is placed with the ministry only for parliamentary business and for the effective coordination with other ministries/divisions, Akram added.
The bill tabled in the National Assembly for amendments in the HEC Ordinance 2002 is a private member bill, not a government bill.
The minister assured the VCs that their suggestions for strengthening the HEC would be fully supported. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by the minister to all the participants.
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