The government has curtailed all the powers of the newly-reinstated Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman, Dr. Tariq Javed Banuri.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had reinstated Dr. Banuri on 18 January, ten months after the government had discharged him under a presidential ordinance and the alteration of the HEC’s rules and regulations. Contradictory to the court’s order, the federal Secretary for Education and Professional Training, Naheed Durrani, presented a resolution on Monday to delegate Dr. Banuri’s powers as Chairman to the HEC’s Executive Director (ED).
The move was supported by a majority of the members of the HEC’s Board of Governors, including Engr. Farooq Bazai, Prof. Dr. Javed Iqbal, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, Dr. Arif Nazir Butt, Secretary Abdul Saboor Kakar, Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhary, Dr. Akram Shaikh, Dr. Nadra Panjwani, Dr. Shaista Sohail, and Dr. Naved Malik.
The resolution allowed the incumbent Executive Director to remain in power until the election of the new Chairman of the HEC through the passing of a resolution with a two-thirds majority. They had also declared the interview process for the new ED as ‘null and void’.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Shafqat Mahmood, has defended the move on the grounds that Dr. Banuri had misused his powers, which had resulted in discontent among the members of the board.
“To use power is not wrong, but to misuse it is, and almost all members expressed their concerns over this, and the ministry took the decision accordingly,” he remarked.
On the other hand, Dr. Banuri alleged that the members of the board had proceeded as such because some of them fear accountability.
“Some people are so scared of accountability that they will go to any lengths, including destroying the whole system, to protect their empires. We (the HEC) will respond to this after consultations,” he claimed.
Dr. Banuri added that the so-called resolution circulated in the HEC appears to be a case of ‘contempt of court’ and should have been prevented. “Such moves will distract the HEC from working towards its real goal of excellence in higher education, promotion of the welfare of students, and ensuring accountability and transparency,” he said.
Source: Pro Pakistani