ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday took serious notice of the matter of vacant Pakistan Chairs abroad under different nomenclatures such as the Quaid-e-Azam Chair and Allama Iqbal Chair; Chairs in Urdu and Pakistan Studies.

The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Irfanul Haque Siddiqi who called the matter a “criminal negligence”. He stressed the need for an in-depth probe of the matter, so that those responsible for this apathetic attitude may be taken to task. He said that in sensitive times such as these, it is crucial that Pakistan’s soft image is built consistently and international Chairs would provide an important forum to promote this impression to the world.

The Committee was informed that a total of 14 Chairs have been vacant since a decade in China, Egypt, Germany, the USA, the UK, Turkey, Hong Kong, Iran, Jordan, Nepal, and Kazakhstan.

The Committee while taking stringent note of the issue, expressed its concerns regarding the issue and said that Pakistan has lost a golden opportunity to dissociate itself from terrorism and crime and enter the folds of international academia to introduce to the world feats accomplished in culture and literature. It stressed the need for stringent action against this negligence that has held back the softer side of the country.

Deliberating over the matter, Chairman Committee Senator Siddiqui directed that the ministry submit a comprehensive report regarding the issue in the next meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023