NA body decides to take step aimed at ensuring presence of VC of IUB at next meeting

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training decided to issue summons of Vice Chancellor, Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), for ensuring his attendance at the next meeting.

The meeting of the Standing Committee was held under the chairmanship of Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, MNA.

Prof Dr Athar Mahboob, VC (IUB), was required to attend the meeting (in person) to present a report of the last Syndicate meeting of IUB but he remained absent and even did not bother to obtain prior permission of the committee.

The registrar, IUB, informed the committee that the VC was pre-occupied in some other engagement thus, did not attend the meeting.

The committee held that the attitude of the VC had always remained non-serious towards the business of the Committee in the past which leads to the breach of the Committee, therefore, unanimously decided to issue summons of the VC (IUB) to ensure his attendance in the next meeting.

Dr Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, vice chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, briefed the committee on the backdrop of the precarious law and order situation amid violent clash between the student groups leading towards closure of the university on 27th of February, 2023.

He held that the ethnic councils were not only fomenting the spirit of sub-nationalism but also jeopardising the university’s peaceful academic environment. An FIR was got registered at the Secretariat’s Police Station against the unfortunate eventuality while all the hostels were got vacated, he added.

The Committee; after listening to the VC and students’ representatives, held that there should be no compromise on discipline but the VC; playing his parental role, should hold meetings with the affected students for amicable settlement of the issues as well as restoration of academic activities and submit a report to the Committee within 15 days.

Prof Dr Shabbar Atiq, Vice Chancellor University of Gujrat (UOG), briefed the committee about the history, faculties, departments, research and development, international ranking, students’ strength, allied facilities, etc, of the university. He held that the enrollment ratio of male and female students was 38 percent and 62 percent respectively which shows parents trust at the administration.

Moreover, according to Times Higher Education Ranking of 2022-23, the UOG was among 1001 to 1200 all over the globe, 43rd in Pakistan and 13th in Punjab. The Committee, while appreciating the VC, pointed out that there were reports of some administrative lacunas in the University.

Quoting example, the committee inquired about the fate of a long outstanding inquiry against Abdul Rasheed, an employee of the university, referred by the governor Punjab to the administration of the University.

The VC, in response, informed that the matter was duly placed in the last Syndicate meeting on the 21st of March 2023, and the same will be finalised in the near future. The committee directed the VC to update it about the outcome of the Syndicate’s decision in the next meeting.

On the issue of “The Global Institute”, the Committee appointed a Sub-Committee under the Convener-ship of Chaudhary Muhammad Hamid Hameed, MNA, alongwith Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Kiran Imran Dar and DrShazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNAs as its members. The sub-committee will look into all the issues of the students of the institute, recommend ways and means for their redressal and submit a report to the standing committee in 15 days.

The committee also considered, (i) “The National Skills University (Amendment) Bill, 2023” (government bill); (ii) “The NFC-Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan (Amendment) Bill, 2023” (government bill), and (iii) “The Kalam Bibi International Women Institute Bannu Bill, 2023” (government bill) and recommended that the same may be passed by the National Assembly.

Whereas, the committee disposed of the matter referred to it by the speaker concerning non-registration of the Bachelor of Engineering Degree of Sheraz Waqas Soomro, a student of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology by the Pakistan Engineering Council.

The meeting was attended by MNAs; Nisar Ahmed Cheema, Chaudhary Hamid Hameed, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Kiran Imran Dar, Dr Samina Matloob, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Mussarat Rafiq Mahesar, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, and Farukh Khan besides senior officers of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the HEC, and other departments/organisations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023