HEC concerns: Protests continue over ED’s removal

ISLAMABAD:

Higher Education Commission (HEC) officials and civil society members protested outside National Press Club on Friday over the governments’ decision to appoint a new HEC executive director.

Dozens of people were chanting slogans against the government “onslaught”, saying curbs on the HEC are not acceptable and cornering a prime national institution is unfair, with others chanting slogans against the government’s appointment.

Mahnaz Aziz, wife of former MNA Daniyal Aziz, was also among the protesters. She condemned the manner in which the government “disrespected and disregarded such a reputable educational institution”.

A senior HEC official said that they are not fighting the case of any individual, but for the survival, autonomy and constitutional functioning of the organisation as a whole. “We are part of HEC and we will fight for all the people whose jobs are at stake following the government’s intervention,” the official said.

HEC Chairman Javaid R Leghari told The Express Tribune that he was not directly informed by anybody from Establishment Division or the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, but was sent a carbon copy (cc:) of the email sent to the HEC media department about the new ED’s appointment. “We wanted to put this issue before the prime minister, but due to his busy schedule we could not meet,” Leghari said. The issue will be soon resolved in a fair way, he added.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was critical of the move, saying that the incumbent regime is targeting the HEC as part of an ongoing policy to destroy all viable state institutions. Khan pointed out that the government had contravened the SC order of April 2011 by getting the Establishment Division to appoint a bureaucrat as the HEC executive director.

The HEC and civil society members will protest at the NPC again on Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2012.