Discord in Senate panel on NMTD issues

PMC says quota issue for engineering, medical students of tribal areas resolved

ISLAMABAD: Fissures emerged on Monday in a parliamentary panel reviewing development in the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata), after two lawmakers complaining over the slow pace of work and the laissez-faire attitude of the provincial government walked out of the committee.

The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) met on Monday with Senator Taj Afridi in the chair.

At the outset of the meeting, officials from the newly-formed Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) told the body that they had arrived at a suitable situation for doubling the quotas for students from the newly-merged tribal districts (NMTDs) in engineering and medical institutions across the country.

The officials said that the regulator of higher education, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), has been informed about the solution and a notification about this issued is expected to be formally announced soon.

Expressing his displeasure over the unfulfilled promises made with residents of the erstwhile Fata residents, independent senator from NMTDs Hidayat Ullah complained that before the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), they had been enticed with grand promises of quick development and prosperity.

However, the Senator from Bajaur complained that there was nobody to listen to them anymore.

He lamented that several development projects in the tribal belt were facing delays owing to lack of funds.

The provincial government, which is led by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), has been neglecting the problems faced by the people of tribal areas, Hidayat alleged.

“Schools are facing a shortage of teachers and the future of students appears bleak,” he cried. emphasising the need to solve problems of the tribal people at the earliest, apart from suggesting to set up a regular body to solve issues.

Senator Hidayat, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Attaur Rehman and Momin Khan then walked out of the meeting to lodge their protest.

PTI Senator Fida Muhammad and independent Senator Aurangzaib urged the committee to ask the provincial government to respond to the issues which had been highlighted by Senator Hidayat.

The committee chairman, though, expressed his satisfaction over the progress made on the quota issue and urged the relevant officials to make a public announcement in this at the earliest to end the confusion amongst students.

FATA University

Earlier during the committee meeting, the committee was given a detailed briefing on issues being faced by the Fata University.

University officials said that they could not establish a sub-campus of the varsity due to a shortage of funds following cuts in the funds of the HEC. They added, that they have secured permission for merging existing colleges in the tribal areas with the varsity and the administrations of several such institutions have been approached in this regard.

The committee members expressed bewilderment at this fact. Afridi assured that the committee will soon summon the HEC officials as funds were essential for the project.

The chairman of the committee further stated that differences in the performance of the university have been observed after the merger of the tribal areas with the settled areas.

He warned that problems faced by college students are also expected to surface shortly.

Afridi, however, pledged that the future of students will not be put at stake and directed to discuss all problems with the top officials of K-P.

University representatives further said that an electricity feeder station to ensure uninterrupted supply of electric power has been installed in the main the campus along with proper arrangements for accommodation of students.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2019.