The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) to conduct a special audit of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of year 2017-18. These directions were given by the chairperson of the subcommittee of the PAC Sherry Rehman while chairing the panel meeting held here to discuss and review audit paras related to the HEC.
The panel also took up the issue of against the merit appointment of former vice chancellor Federal Urdu University and directed the government to take appropriate steps against the culprits. The panel observed that the former VC caused multimillion rupees financial losses to national kitty.
The panel was informed that 22 students of Federal Urdu University were granted with foreign scholarships without appearing in the tests of National Testing Service (NTS). Those who got scholarships were later disappeared and caused Rs 117.5 million financial losses to the national kitty.
The VC Federal Urdu University informed the panel that the National Accountability Bureau was probing the matter.
Audit officials informed the panel that millions of rupees were paid to the employees of the Federal Urdu University and COMSAT in the name of special allowance against set rules and regulations.
The chairperson committee asked the chairman HEC what the commission has done on the subject. The HEC chairman responded that the commission was not interfering in internal financial matters of the universities. He said that the Commission is only checking educational standards and other matters related the curriculum.
Member committee Hassain Tariq suggested to conduct a special audit of the HEC which was supported by other members and the chairperson committee directed the AGP to conduct a special audit of the HEC of year 2017-18.
The AGP further said that the authorities of Federal Urdu University without following due process purchased 80 kanals of land to build a university campus which caused Rs 50 million losses to national kitty.
Responding to the audit objection, the VC Federal Urdu University said that Islamabad Campus was on rent and the university is paying Rs 3.7 million per month to Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on account of rent.
The VC further said that the university at an estimated cost of Rs 130 million has started constructing a university campus on the land purchased by the former VC. On which the committee members asked when land purchase is questionable then how the university administration can build a campus on it. The panel asked the AGP to add another audit objection against the university.
The panel also took up the issue of 2,500 students sent on scholarships to University of Lancaster under dual degree programme by COMSAT but the university didn't get approval from the HEC.
The officials said that an estimated Rs 500 million were spent on the scholarships but when the student returned back to Pakistan after completing degrees, the HEC refused to accept their degrees.
The AGP officials said that the students went to court of law against HEC and they have won the case but HEC has gone into intra-court appeal. The panel directed the HEC officials to provide relief to the students to safeguard their future.
The AGP further said that COMSATS selected fifty faculty members for PhD abroad with an expenditure of Rs 379.90 million under sub-head Human Resource Development "HRD" on account of payment of fee, stipend and others against PC-I provision of Rs 444.81 million up to 30th June, 2015. Five persons out of 50 did not return to join the COMSATS after completion of their studies. The management did neither take any action against the scholars nor are their surety bonds encashed.
The AGP further said Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS) Islamabad selected 14 faculty members for PhD abroad, one (01) person out of fourteen (14) did not return to join the PIEAS after completion of PhD. The management did neither take any action against the scholar nor is his surety bonds encashed. This resulted in monetary loss of Rs 11.32 million.
The panel asked the concerned quarters to take serious actions against the officials who violated the rules.