Pakistan Muslim League-Q senior leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has termed the dissolution of Higher Education Commission (HEC) as an irreparable national loss, which would close down doors of higher education on thousands of deserving Pakistanis; therefore, it should be withdrawn forthwith.
He said the objective of HEC was to provide equal opportunities for higher education to all four provinces. In order to promote higher education, we set up 18 new universities in Punjab and inked agreements with German and Swedish governments to set up technical universities adjacent to the proposed Lahore-Sialkot Motorway project, he said, adding, the present Punjab government's attitude towards higher education forced both countries to withdraw their already allocated funds and manpower for these university projects and shift them to India.
Elahi said that HEC was globally considered as a catalyst for change and harbinger of a silent revolution in Pakistan. The news of its dissolution has resulted in the suspension of US $250 million aid while the United Nations has also threatened to withdraw its US $350 million aid for promotion of higher education in Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan's growth and development was directly related to the promotion of higher education and there were over 8000 Pakistanis depending on HEC for pursuit of superior learning and its dissolution had left them clueless about their future. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision and declared Pakistan Muslim League's opposition to the dissolution of HEC in the assemblies and on all other forums.