Senate panel pushes for permanent varsity VCs, revival of student unions

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has urged the ministry of education to convene a meeting of all provincial chief ministers to address issues concerning the appointment of vice-chancellors at public sector universities, pensions and salaries and the revival of student unions.

The committee stressed the need for a concrete solution to resolve these issues including the appointment of vice-chancellors at public sector universities on a permanent basis.

Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training meeting was chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt on Friday at the Parliament House.

The committee discussed a range of pressing educational issues including ongoing pension issues at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology (FUUAST) Karachi campus, the lack of permanent vice-chancellors in most universities and the delay in the verification of students’ degrees and the consistent ban on student unions.

The committee discussed in detail the point of public importance raised by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan regarding the ongoing strike at the FUUAST, Karachi campus.

Senator Ahsan emphasised that the issues faced by students, workers, and retired employees at the university remain unresolved and demand immediate attention. He highlighted that these groups are not receiving pensions and that house rent payments have been delayed.

He said that these individuals have come forward to express their valid concerns. Senator Ahsan also noted that FUUAST, named after Baba-e-Urdu, holds significant importance. However, persistent issues affecting its faculty and staff could lead to further disruptions, which must be addressed to ensure stability.

Read more: KP governor stripped of powers to appoint VCs, chancellorship of varsities

Talking about the pension crisis at the FFAST, Karachi campus, retired professor Tauseef Ahmad Khan told the committee that the retired teachers and other employees had not received pension since 2017, despite the university having had Rs500 million in its account.

FUUAST Vice-Chancellor Zabta Khan Shinwari confirmed this, but added that the funds had been the deduction amount of the employees of the FUUAST Islamabad campus.

To this, Tauseef Ahmad Khan said that since FUUAST has one charter and Karachi campus retired employees should not be punished merely stating that the Rs500 million belonged to the Islamabad campus, and their dues shoule be cleared.

Senator Afnan Ullah Khan seconded his point and asked the FUUAST vice-chancellor to clear the dues of retired employees from the Rs500 million funds held by the university.

The FUUAST vice-chancellor said that he inherited Rs1.5 billion liabilities when he assumed charge of the office as 17 acting vice-chancellors had served before him with major issues not being sorted out. He said that the pension issue worsened following the salary raise given to the employees and faculty members.

Senator Kamran Murtaza extended the discussion beyond the FUUAST, highlighting ongoing salary problems being faced by university teachers in Balochistan, where they have not been paid for an extended period.

Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui acknowledged the persistence of these problems but pointed out that, following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, provinces were no longer answerable to the federal government.

The Senate committee appreciated the Sindh government’s allocation of over Rs32 billion for higher education, noting that it is the only funding FUUAST has received.

The committee chairperson commented that similar challenges persist at universities across the country, with provinces not taking responsibility, and salaries remaining unpaid. She said that an audit policy, including both external and internal audits, was urgently needed.

Additionally, she said that the practice of appointing interim vice-chancellors should either have time-bound tenures or this practice should be done away with, as acting positions often cause significant challenges.

Senator Bushra emphasised the need to eliminate the interim vice-chancellor position entirely and proposed forming a dedicated committee to develop actionable solutions. Proper resource allocation is essential to addressing these persistent issues effectively, she said.

The education minister suggested that the federal ombudsman, the vice-chancellor, and the HEC collaborate to resolve the matter, a suggestion which was endorsed by Senator Bushra and committee members.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed explained that the problems at the FUUAST were linked to governance and administrative shortcomings.

The committee expressed concern over the frequent appointment of acting vice-chancellors in universities and asked for a rationale behind these temporary appointments.

Senator Afnan Ullah raised another concern, noting that the FUUAST had not conducted an audit for several years. In response, the federal education minister assured that a concrete solution would be found by next week in collaboration with the HEC, university officials and chief ministers.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed also told the committee that HEC’s annual fund had been capped at Rs66 billion, creating fund shortages for key projects including payment of salaries of faculty members and other employees. He said that after the devolution of the education sector, the Sindh government has contributed most funds to universities including the FUUAST.

Senator Syed Masroor Hassan criticised the ban on student unions, pointing out that it had led to a leadership crisis in overall politics with mediocre people ended up reaching parliament and holding key positions.

He demanded that the HEC and education ministry take immediate measures to lift the ban on student unions.

The HEC chief assured the committee that soon a meeting of vice-chancellors and other relevant officials would be convened to delineate the ToRs to lift the ban according to the Supreme Court verdict.

Senator Ahsan called for clear guidelines to govern student unions. He advocated for the restoration of student unions in educational institutions at the earliest.

After a detailed discussion, Senator Bushra proposed a way forward via formal correspondence, suggesting that the committee’s directive be reinforced. She further emphasized the need for a time-bound schedule and a clear date for elections.

Senator Fozia Arshad reiterated the previous committee’s decision to restore student unions and urged HEC to take immediate action to implement this directive. The committee expressed strong support for the restoration of student unions, considering it essential for fostering student leadership.

The committee also expressed frustration over delays in the verification of student degrees by the HEC, which have caused numerous complications for students.

The HEC chairman revealed that 30,000 degrees of the University of South Aisa, Lahore (27 Heritage International Colleges), Preston Institute of Management and Technology (PIMSAT), Karachi (total nine campuses) and Newports Institute of Communications & Economics (NICE), Karachi (five campuses) remained unverified since last year due to discrepancies in the documents and degrees submitted by these institutions.

He said that data of only five campuses was incomplete while the rest of the universities have furnished incomplete record of students and admissions and examinations held.

The committee criticized the lack of proper documentation on the part of these universities and emphasized the importance of ensuring that only properly submitted documents for degree verifications should be signed by the HEC.

The committee clarified that it had refrained from intervening in the creation of terms of reference (TORs) for universities, recognizing the sensitivity of the matter. However, it urged HEC to act swiftly and ensure transparency in its operations, particularly in addressing fraudulent activities on the part of universities.

The Balochistan University vice-chancellor briefed the committee on issue of permanent appointment of employees and assured the committee that the remaining 24 individuals —would be treated fairly within two to three weeks after a meeting of the university syndicate as the Balochistan Governor House has already approved the summary. He told the committee that a compliance report would be submitted by February 1. Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan urged the Balochistan University vice-chancellor to resolve the issue without further delay.