HEC bill sparks PPP, PML-N dispute

President prevents bill transferring powers to PM from tabling in parliament

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KARACHI:

The Higher Education Commission Amendment Bill has sown a discord in the ruling coalition as President Asif Ali Zardari used his clot to prevent the bill, transferring maximum powers to the Prime Minister, from being tabled in the joint session of the parliaments held on Friday.

The bill proposed transfer of the commission's powers to the Prime Minister. Such powers include appointment of the executive director, formation of the commission and nomination of vice chancellor in the federal commission. The bill recommended maximum powers of the HEC to the Prime Minister.

The President House sources told The Express Tribune that the bill in question attempted to defang the powers of the federal education commission.

As per the draft of the amendment bill, available with The Express Tribune, the power of appointing the executive director of the HEC will be vested with the Prime Minister whereas the commission is autonomous as per the prevailing laws and he appoints only the HEC chairman and few members of the commission.

The bill also recommends curtailing the numbers of commission's members to 10. Of which, four education experts, IT experts and scientist will be nominated by the Prime Minister. The chairmen of provincial HECs will also be the members of the commission. It is pertinent to mention that the provincial commissions are only functional in Sindh and Punjab, thus rendering K-P and Balochistan deprived of representation in the commission.

Moreover, the commission will propose the names of three vice chancellors (VCs) each from public and private sector universities to the Prime Minister and he will select one each from both sectors.

At present, the VCs become a part of the commission through a selection by its own committee while the chief ministers also nominate a VC in the commission.