The Federation of All Pakistan University Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), a representative body of the university teachers has called upon the Prime Minister to form an un-biased, apolitical search committee for transparent and merit based appointment of the next Chairperson of the Higher Education Commission (HEC)
ISLAMABAD:(Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2018) The Federation of All Pakistan University Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), a representative body of the university teachers has called upon the Prime Minister to form an un-biased, apolitical search committee for transparent and merit based appointment of the next Chairperson of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The letter has been written on an important occasion when the tenure of current Chairman of HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmad is expiring on April 15th and the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is expected to constitute a search committee within next few weeks to select the next head of the commission.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister, the academician’s body called for excluding political figures from the search committee. “The political interference in the higher education has brought a culture of extension, nepotism and non-transparent appointments of top leadership at HEC and Vice-Chancellors at universities,” says the letter signed by Prof Dr. Kaleem ullah Bareach, Central President FAPUASA and Dr. Shehzad Ashraf Chaudhry President FAPUASA Islamabad Chapter.
According to the letter the Higher Education Commission is the supreme body established primarily for funding, overseeing, regulating, and accrediting the higher education institutions in Pakistan. “With more than 90 billion budget, the HEC plays an important and leading role towards building a knowledge based economy in Pakistan through quality assurance, development of new institutions and uplift of existing institutions in Pakistan,” the letter mentions.
Since it’s inception, the role of HEC has been praised by a number of international higher education observers including United Nations Commission on Science and Technology which applauded HEC reform as “progress made was breath-taking and has put Pakistan ahead of comparable countries in numerous aspects”. “Unfortunately, higher education in Pakistan, now-a-days is facing some problems of severe nature, which has damaged it’s image and progress.
Working without its governing board since 2015, HEC has not published its annual report,” letter reads. During recent times, HEC has failed to utilize approximately 50 percent of its development budget, which has deprived the universities from critical infrastructure like labs, faculty blocks and hostels. The contractual and adhoc appointments are at rampant in HEC as well as in varsities. Critical and policy decisions are being made through these contractual employees who don’t have any stake at all, such contractual appointments are also violation of the verdicts of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
