Removal of HEC executive director violation of SC’s order: Rehman
It seems as if the government is out to destroy all the research and development the Higher Education Commission (HEC) achieved in the past 10 years.
This was the view of former HEC chairman Dr Attaur Rehman during a press conference about the troubling situation brewing after controversial recent appointments and removals in the Higher Education Commission.
“The appointment of the new executive director by the Establishment Division is an affront and open contempt of the Supreme Court order issued on April 12, 2011. That ruling had quashed the government’s attempt to shred the HEC into pieces as part of the devolution process,” he said.
He was surprised at the government’s willingness to risk facing contempt of the SC, but also remarked that several issues had triggered this action. Among them was “the Rs48 billion annual budget, which has helped uplifting local universities, some of which are now ranked among the top 500 in the world.”
The former HEC chief also suggested there were attempts by politicians and bureaucrats to coerce universities into granting admission to their kith and kin.
The third reason, he said, could be the wrath of a number of legislators incurred by the HEC in pronouncing 51 of their degrees forged, while many more were reluctant to submit their degrees with the Election Commission of Pakistan, most likely fearing they would be caught out as well.
“It is a systematic strategy to destroy the HEC, as the government has already destroyed two key institutions, the National Commission of Nanotechnology and the National Commission on Biotechnology.”
He lamented that the HEC’s universities budget has been slashed by about 50% and the powers of the Executive Director (ED), which were once equitable to a federal secretary, have been stripped.
“Resultantly, students who went to universities in Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Sweden, China, Korea, Japan and Turkey on HEC scholarships were forced to beg at mosques just three months before classes were to begin at four of these universities.”
He also pointed out that the establishment of four law universities, one in each province, which had already been approved, was also abandoned. The present government has approved an education policy under which 7% of the Gross Domestic Product was to be spent on education, but “we are allocating only 1.8% on education, placing us among the seven lowest-ranked countries in the world in terms of expenditure on education,” he remarked.
Answering a question about the current tussle, he said the HEC’s 17-member commission has full authority to appoint management pay (MP) scale officers and Naqvi’s third extension is not violation of law. “He is ex-officio so it does not come under the law for MP scale officials as is the case for the Government of Pakistan,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2012.
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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 !!!!!
It seems the office bearers of OWA and EWA, the two unions of HEC are actively involved in politicizing the present issue. The top union office bearers are doing so for their personal gains. Are they being used by someone else? One such person is the Vice President of OWA who is the arch intriguer in the present crisis of HEC.
There was no university from Pakistan in the top 200 as claimed by HEC
http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/21/two-pakistani-universities-ranked-among-top-200-worlds-technology-universities.html
It was a total fabrication; HEC top management is a bunch of liars
Dr. Ata himself is one of the biggest liars; he claims to have over 450 publications whereas most of them are Editorials which are NOT classified as publications as one is only reviewing what is publishing in the journal...
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.
Its all about the money baby. HEC high-ups are missing the enormous amounts of funds, foreign trips and favours. Its' basically one thief against the other.