Extensions: HEC striving to maintain autonomous status, reputation

All appointments, extensions in accordance with rules.

ISLAMABAD:

Widely considered to be one of the few bright spots in the government machinery, Higher Education Commission is struggling to maintain its autonomous status and reputation in the face of pressure from the government in appointments and extension in service to senior officers. 

The commission and the Establishment Division have come to the loggerheads on the issue of extension in service to senior officers.

“All appointments and extension in management pay (MP) scale in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) are being done in accordance with the law,” contended HEC Chairman Dr Javaid Laghari.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Laghari was disappointed by notifications from the cabinet and establishment divisions declaring all appointments on MP scales and extensions made since 2004 to date as illegal.

“Though I was not chairman 10 years back, it is surprising under which law they (the ED and CD) are questioning the decision of a 17-member commission approved by the Prime Minister,” Laghari questioned.

He said such decisions are not made by individuals, but the representatives of all provinces and the federal government.

“Under Article 12 of the HEC Ordinance 2002, the commission may appoint officers, advisers and consultants when required, so what has happened now to create an issue out of this?”

Sources in the HEC told The Express Tribune that questioning such clearly-approved authority is surprising.

Despite the Supreme Court order that there should be no interference in the affairs of the 17-member HEC commission, the ED has been interfering in its decisions.

Those granted extensions in MP scales include Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi (MP-I), HRD Adviser Dr Riaz Hussain Qureshi (MP-II), Adviser Monitoring and Evaluation Jalil Ahmed (MP-II), Quality Assurance Agency Managing Director Prof Dr Khwaja Azam Ali (MP-II), Learning Innovation Director general Dr Noor Amna Malik (MP-III), Services DG Anis Sadozai (MP-III), Quality Assurance DG Zia Batool (MP-III), Research and Development DG Dr Muhammad Latif (MP-III), who recently resigned after serving with the commission for five years, and Information Technology DG Anwar Amjad, who was previously a consultant before taking on MP-III in 2009 and working on the same post for five years.

Dr Naqvi rebuked the criticism from the ED on extensions for competent and experienced officers.

“Anybody can look at my credentials and experiences,” he said. Only a small group of people, for their own benefit, are resorting to such acts, said Naqvi, who has been associated with the HEC for the last 10 years and was recently given an extension.

He said all decisions about extension were made in the presence of a federal secretary, Vice-chancellors of universities and eminent scholars.

An official at the ED on condition of anonymity said that the recruitments in MP scales is the prerogative of the prime minister. However, he said, HEC has been making all such appointments and giving extension to its officials without the approval from the PM.

The HEC chairman also stated that the MP scale officers have been working for the HEC since its inception and have interacted with all organs of the government.

“I have sent the minutes of the last board meeting to the Prime Minister who also heads the HEC Commission to take a final decision regarding the appointments and extensions. The board will be meeting him to clarify the current status of the commission,” he concluded.

Meanwhile Kalimullah, President Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) termed such moves an attempt to curb the autonomy of the HEC and make it dysfunctional. “The HEC has a transparent and independent structure, and such acts could threaten its survival.”

Establishment Secretary Taimur Azmat Osman when approached for comment, did not respond to his phone or SMS messages.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2012.