ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training appreciated the government for the promulgation of the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Rules; however, directed that implementation of the Rules in letter and spirit must be ensured so that that all those children subjected to corporal or physical punishment or abuse are protected in future.
The Standing Committee meeting was held on Friday in the Parliament House, Islamabad under the chairmanship of Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani.
During the course of discussion on an agenda item concerning the framing of rules as an aftermath of “The Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill”, the ministry informed the committee that the rules in question have not only been framed but also promulgated and notified in the Official Gazette on 2nd February 2023.
The committee, while appreciating the ministry for the promulgation of the said rules, directed that implementation of the rules in letter and spirit must be ensured so that all those children subjected to corporal or physical punishment or abuse could be protected in future.
The committee, while expressing displeasure over non-attendance of the meeting by Vice Chancellor, Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), directed the Registrar IUB to convey the VC to ensure attendance in the next meeting.
The VC, IUB, was required to hold enquires into two different issues concerning missing of admission forms of BA 1st Annual Examination of 2000 and misconduct of an Assistant Professor of IUB namely Dr Saeed and personally submit reports to the Committee but he did not turn up.
On an issue regarding non-accreditation of engineering degrees of Pakistani students, earned from Hungarian Universities, by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the Committee directed the HEC and the PEC to find out some viable solution of the issue as the same was causing concerns amongst the students and their parents.
Regarding (i) Revision in policy for appointment and promotion of All Pakistan Universities BPS Teachers’ Association and (ii) Release of funds to Tenure Track System (TTS) Teachers against notified salaries, the Committee was informed by the chairman HEC that he was personally looking into both the issues and the same will be settled in near future with the consensus of all the stakeholders. On the assurance given by the chairman HEC, the Committee disposed of both issues.
On the legislative business (bills), the committee was informed by the chairman HEC that the codal formalities; in respect of the proposed universities, had not yet been fulfilled by the movers; therefore, the same could not supported. The committee unanimously decided not to take up all those bills on its agenda till the completion of requisite codal formalities by the movers.
The committee, however, deferred (i) “The Calling Attention No.20” (moved by Aliya Kamran, MNA), (ii) “The National University of Modern Languages (Amendment) Bill, 2022” (moved by Jamal-ud-din, MNA), (iii) “The Pakistan Institute of Research and Registration of Quality Assurance Bill, 2022” (moved by Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, MNA), (iv) “The matter regarding ban on book titled as Ayina-e-Imraniyat (moved by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, MNA), (v) “The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023” (moved by Aliya Kamran, MNA) and (vi) “The National Skills University Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023” (moved by Aliya Kamran, MNA) due to non-attendance of the movers.
The meeting was attended by Mehnaz Akber Aziz, Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Kiran Imran Dar and Zahra Wadood Fatemi besides chairman HEC, and senior officer of Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and its attached departments/organizations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023