HEC ED appointment: Protests against new executive director continues

Proestors demand govt review its decision, otherwise they will have no option but to mobilise all stakeholders.



ISLAMABAD:


Civil society activists on Saturday continued protesting on Saturday against what they called the “illegal appointment” of a new Higher Education Commission (HEC) executive director.


Carrying banner and placards inscribed with slogans like “Stop political interference in HEC”, “Raise your voice for the independence of the institution, “Save the institution”, and other messages, a number of civil society activists assembled in front of National Press Club (NPC)to lodge their protest.

A majority of the protesters were female activists, including Tahira Abdullah, Samar Minallah, and Siddiqa Malik. They stayed outside NPC for almost two hours.

They demanded that the government review its decision, otherwise they will have no option but to mobilise all stakeholders to save the institution. “We are here today to record our protest against the appointment of new executive director Major (retd) Qamar Zaman, and civil society will never allow the government to play with independent institutions like the HEC,” said Samar Minallah.

HEC Chairman Dr Javaid Laghari had received a notification on November 28 from the Establishment Division giving Qamar Zaman, a BS-22 Secretariat Group officer, to take the additional charge of HEC executive director.

“What message does the government wants to give by removing Dr Sohail Naqvi who played a vital role for the HEC. Thousands of students are affiliated with HEC and ... it’s unfair for anyone to play with their futures,” said Mahnaz Aziz another activist.

She alleged that with the elections approaching, the incumbent government is targeting the HEC by destroying it like current and past governments have destroyed other institutions.

The protesters said that government is violating the apex court order of April13, 2011by appointing a bureaucrat to this post and requested the courts to take notice of this issue.

They vowed to continue their protest and announced they would protest outside the HEC office on December 3. “Till the decision is taken back, we will continue our protest,” said Tahira Abdullah.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2012.

COMMENTS (3)

Umar Baloch | 11 years ago | Reply

Is there any need to play havoc by politicizing a properly functioning institution by replacing a highly qualified technocrat with a B.A. pass bureaucrat in HEC ????

Zardari, Raja Ashraf and feudal politicians such as Khurshid Shah, Gilani, talpurs and other sindhi vadairas are not happy with the efficiency of HEC regarding higher education in Pakistan. You may give 100 reasons for the replacement of Dr. Naqvi, but tell me that befor Naqvi as ED of HEC, what was the actual situation of higher education in this country ? Just compare the 55 year data with these 10 years of HEC under the guidance of Mr. Naqvi. Our jahil feudal politicians have no vision of future. They're just interested in creating job opportunities in HEC for the inefficient workers of their political party. We're the victim of evil minded politicians who want to destroy every institution of this country just like PIA, Railway, Steel mills by creating illegal employments for their party workers. The problems of this country can never be fixed unless these feudal politicians are executed along with their entire families. Their children are just like the children of snakes, and every snake is dangerous whether it's adult or infant. This is the only way to save Pakistan and change the corrupt mindset of its people.

This nation is suffering from corrupt bureaucracy. Do you want to know how "Feudal and Jahil" politicians made this bureaucracy corrupt ??? See the example of Raja Azeem-ul-Haq, son-in-law of criminal Prime Minister Raja Rental. Just 2 years ago, he was serving in grade 18. Now he's become grade 21 officer. What's this ? It's only possible in bana republic. Alas, jagirdar jahil and criminal politicians have destroyed every institution of Pakistan in just 5 years. Elections are never a solution for these people. Never, it's impossible via election. The only way to save this country is the mass killing of the feudal, jagirdar politicians along with their entire families. This is the only way to save Pakistan !!!!!

Fawwad Ali | 11 years ago | Reply

This is Atrocious, This is a problem with Pakistanis, we can't tolerate it if things are going fine we have to meddle and do something about that and probably bring change for the worse mostly.. One institution that works independently also functioning good but these politicians with their puny brains have to destroy it like the rest of the country and put the future of us students at stake. Sometimes I wonder if these politicians are doing everything in their power to scare the young generation out of the country.

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