Education ministry: Rs 11.824 billion budgetary proposals approved

A parliamentary panel has approved budgetary proposals of Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training for financial year 2018-19 with recommendation for allocation of Rs 11.834 billion for 11 ongoing and five new development projects. National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training met with MNA Colonel Dr Amirullah Marwat (retd) in the chair here at Parliament House on Wednesday. The committee discussed the budget proposals of the ministry and 'The Institute for Art and Culture Bill, 2018.'
The committee considered budgetary proposals of the ministry relating to Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for financial year 2018-19 in detail. The ministry briefed the committee about the objectives and importance of schemes in detail. After having detailed deliberations, the committee approved Rs 11.834 billion budgetary proposals of the ministry for forthcoming budget-2018-19 for 11 ongoing and five new unapproved schemes as submitted by the ministry to the committee. The committee members raised serious concern that Salman D Muhammad has not been removed from his post as professor of Federal Urdu University, Karachi, despite a number of recommendations made by the standing committee in its previous meetings against him as his PhD degree has already been proved fake by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Karachi University.
The committee directed the secretary Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to convey the recommendation of the standing committee to President Mamnoon Hussain to suspend Salman D Muhammad as professor. The committee further directed the HEC executive director to conduct an inquiry into the alleged irregularities made during Salman D Muhammad period as vice chancellor of Federal Urdu University, Islamabad, and submit a report to the committee within one month accordingly.
While giving briefing about the compliance on recommendations of previous meeting held on January 31, 2018, the director (regional planning) CDA informed the committee that the Capital Development Authority and Survey of Pakistan held a meeting on February 06, 2018 in the office of the member Planning and Development CDA and verified the survey carried out by the Survey of Pakistan of the land of Quaid-e-Azam University. Thereafter, the committee directed the director (regional planning) CDA to complete the on-ground demarcation of university land by the deadline given by the committee. It was further decided that the committee along with chairman CDA, deputy commissioner ICT and inspector general of Islamabad police would visit Quaid-e-Azam University to check the actual position of demarcation on ground.
The committee also considered 'The Institute for Art and Culture Bill, 2018' in detail and deferred it for its next meeting. The meeting was attended by MNAs Muhammad Nazir Khan, Rida Khan, Amra Khan, Surraiya Jatoi, Dr Shazia Sobia, Shahida Rehmani, Dr Imran Khattak, Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan and Shahida Akhtar Ali, besides officers/officials of the ministry and its attached departments.