بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم
السلامُ علیکم و رحمۃ اللہ و برکاتہ
Dear Colleagues
In a shocking move, the present government approved the shredding of
the Higher Education Commission into pieces and handing the functions
to the provinces. The Cabinet formally approved this last week.
This was illegal as HEC was a Federal Regulatory Authority and
protected under the 18th amendment of the Constitution like other
Federal Regulatory Authorities . It was also completely autonomous,
and reported directly to the Prime Minister. However it was treated as
if it was a part of the Ministry of Education, and since the Ministry
of Education was being devolved, so this was too. HEC had developed
many enemies when I was its Chairman as I was determined to strictly
follow merit and not compromise on principles. Dr. Sohail Naqvi,
Executive Director, continued these policies, after I resigned, as
did the new Chairman Dr. Javaid Laghari. This annoyed many
Parliamentarians, specially on the matter of forged degrees as HEC
refused to testify them as genuine.
This is disastrous for the future of Pakistan as it will lead to
horrendous problems. it will lead to multiplicity of standards and
cause the same chaotic situation that exists in our schools. It will
also lead to massive corruption as the provincial governments will now
be able to exert direct pressures to appoint their cronies at key
positions in universities. Greedy politicians have their eyes on
university lands worth hundreds of billions of rupees and these can be
swallowed after appointment of their own persons at key positions.
Universities that are favourites will be better funded and the
formula-based funding evolved by HEC will vanish. The $ 300 million
committed by the World Bank and $ 250 million agreed to by US AID will
also no longer be available as these were linked to the status of HEC
not being changed. The written commitment of the Ministry of Finance
with the World Bank to give sizeable increases in funding to HEC,
resulting in doubling of its recurring and development budgets over
the next 3 years will also now no longer be honoured as funding will
now be a provincial responsibility except for the few Federal
Universities. Most importantly, the national focus to train manpower
in key areas of national importance, in harmony with the long term
development plans, will be replaced by a fragmented approach.
I recently held a Press Conference in Islamabad on the platform of the
Pakistan Academy of Sciences (of which I am now President) calling
upon the government to reverse this decision to shred HEC. I also
discussed the matter with Dr. A.Q.Khan who wrote an article for The
News. This was published (as views expressed by him) in The News
(Islamabad edition) 2 days ago and in the Karachi edition yesterday.
I have also written an article which is attached. It should be
published in a national newspaper within a couple of days.
I would like each of you to take a strong stand on the matter and
write articles in national newspapers urging the government to reverse
this decision.. We cannot be bystanders as the HEC is shredded into
pieces. This was one sector that was working well, six years of my
life went in into building this vibrant institution as its founding
Chairman. The work of HEC drew much international praise. Alas it has
now been destroyed.
Will you act?
Kind regards
Atta
Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS
NI,HI,SI,TI, UNESCO Science Laureate
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