It would appear that the government is trying to bypass SC decision by having the devolution implemented in Sindh.
ISLAMABAD: In your newspaper, there have been several articles and reports on the devolution of the HEC that are distinctly worrying. A report on April 16 pointed out that the government is withholding funds meant for the HEC. On April 17, there was a news item saying that the Sindh government was going to pay the quarterly instalment for the universities “if they did not receive their share of funds from the HEC”. On April 19, Senator Raza Rabbani was quoted as saying that new legislation was going to replace the HEC and that this is “a minor issue” that has “been blown out of proportion”. This is after the Supreme Court gave an unambiguous verdict that the HEC is to continue functioning and that the government must get a new law enacted if it wants to touch the HEC.
It would appear that the government is trying to bypass the Supreme Court decision by having the devolution implemented de facto in Sindh. That it is trying to do this notwithstanding the strong public support for the HEC is worrying. Surely this is tantamount to contempt of court?
Asghar Qadir
Centre for Advanced Mathematics & Physics
National University of Sciences & Technology
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2011.
