Arsalan Haider
The federal government has failed to appoint the executive director (ED) of Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan even after almost two years have passed since the PTI took reins of power.
Defying the austerity measures of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is hiring consultants on high salaries, Academia learned on Monday.
According to reliable sources at HEC, the Commission is hiring around 10 consultants against BPS 21 and paying them Rs 300,000 to Rs4 400,000 per month besides other perks and privileges. Other perks and privileges include luxury cars, TADA and other BPS 21 facilities.
The sources said that there are already more than 800 employees, a number of advisors and nine Director Generals (DGs) working in HEC. “This hiring of 10 consultants is just being done to oblige some people. This type of hiring is being done for the first time in the 15 years history of HEC,” sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that HEC had asked universities for austerity measures after the government cut the HEC budget. The decision affected 194 universities across the country and it was widely criticized by the academicians.
According to sources the hiring of these consultants is illegal as per Act of HEC which claimed that no person other than HEC Chairman and Executive Director can be member of HEC. The Act further says that all the employees should be hired as per the rules and regulations of the federal government. However, these consultants are hired on a temporary basis.
These consultants include Consultant for Policy and Legal Affairs Dawood Muneer, Consultant ITMIS Rizwan Rashid, Consultant Finance Arshad, IT Consultant Asif, Consultant National Academy for Higher Education Sara Zaman, Consultant Institution Reforms Fazal Abbas, Consultant CPEC Gen (Retd) Muhammad Asghar, Legal Advisor Mansoor Tariq and others.
When contacted Chairman HEC Dr Tariq Banuri said that all these consultants were hired after the approval of Commission and these hiring were on temporary basis.
A committee has been established to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the entire spectrum of medical education in Pakistan.
Universities are facing a financial crisis due to the budget cuts by the federal government in the last three years, vice chancellors and rectors of public sector universities observed during a meeting held at the Higher Education Commission on Sunday. In the two-day huddle at the HEC office, university heads gathered to explore solutions to the financial crisis brewing from university budgetary cuts and gave recommendations to resolve the financial discrepancies.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process and feels a special sense of responsibility to incorporate the SDGs process into academic activities in Pakistan. This was stated by Dr Tariq Banuri, HEC Chairman, while talking to a UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) delegation comprising of Musarrat Youssuf, UNICEF Chief, Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Section and Dr Luis Gorjon Fernandez, UNICEF Head of Social Policy.
Pakistani students proceeding to foreign countries for studies are ‘ambassadors of Pakistan’ and it is their responsibility to portray a positive image of the country, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri said on Friday. He was addressing 200 Pakistani students selected for Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship at the commission secretariat. The ceremony was part of Bilateral Higher Education and Scientific Exchange Program.
After several weeks of speculations, rumour mongering and suggestions, the prime minister of Pakistan has finally appointed the chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, with the coveted post falling in the lap of Dr Tariq Banuri for the next four years.