Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, had reportedly short listed his own name with another two as the proposed name of a University in Multan but did a volte face during a Cabinet meeting, highly reliable sources told Business Recorder.
The sources said Prime Minister had approved three names for the proposed engineering university one of which was "Yousuf Raza Gilani University". "When the Prime Minister approves three names including his own name, how can a ministry dare ignore the name of the Prime Minister", observed one official who requested not to be quoted.
"It's a surprise that the Prime Minister has constituted a committee for this purpose. It's a complete U-turn from what is stated in documents already approved by him" the sources maintained.
On January 21, the cabinet was briefed that National Fertiliser Corporation (NFC) Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan was presently affiliated with Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan and conducting B Sc. courses in the disciplines of Chemical Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Computer System Engineering. In line with the policy of the government to encourage establishment of universities/degree awarding institutions, the Prime Minister had been pleased to approve, in principle, upgradation of the institute to the level of university.
The institute was adequately equipped for upgradation and over a period of time had gained a reputation of a good institution for studies in engineering. It was further highlighted that establishment of the proposed university in southern region would, to some extent, rectify the existing imbalance in the location of universities in the Punjab province.
NFC would provide necessary funding. The draft bill 2008 had been vetted by Law and Justice Division. However, it was pointed out that Higher Education Commission had observed that proposed university may not be affiliated with any other colleges in Multan Division and may not have its principal seat at Islamabad.
The sources said before inviting comments from the cabinet the Prime Minister desired that the proposed university should not be named after him. During discussion it was pointed out that the institute possessed the requisite qualifications to be upgraded to a university. NFC's financial capacity to sustain the project was also discussed. The desirability to grant charter through federal legislation was debated at length.
It was explained that every university, except the centres of excellence had to have principal seat in Islamabad so as to qualify for federal charter. After discussion about the provisions of the constitution it was opined that federal, legislature's competence to make law except in the case of centres of excellence is not clear. However, notwithstanding the comfort provided by precedents such as Aga Khan University, Lahore University of Management Sciences, National College of Arts and Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, it was considered appropriate that even an impression of encroaching upon jurisdiction of a province be avoided.
It was also opined that the proposed university could encounter certain complications while being considered for provincial charter. The cabinet, therefore, directed that a committee headed by the Minister for Education including Minister for Industries, Minister for Law, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector be constituted to look into the proposal in consultation with the provincial government and formulate recommendations for an informed decision by the cabinet.