A simple graduate, PTI MPA to head standing committee on higher education

PESHAWAR: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker has been made the chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s Standing Committee on Higher Education even though he is a simple graduate.

Arbab Waseem Hayat, the Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from rural Peshawar, was notified on Thursday as the chairman of the assembly’s Standing Committee on Higher Education.

When approached by The News, he confirmed the notification of his appointment as head of the standing committee. He also confirmed that he had done his Bachelor of Arts (BA) only.

When asked as to how he will tackle issues concerning higher education when he has just done his BA and has never been to a university, Arbab Waseem Hayat simply said: “InshaAllah I will deliver.” On the provincial assembly website also, his educational qualification is mentioned as BA.

Arbab Waseem Hayat was first elected MPA in May 2016 when he contested the by-election from PK-8 Peshawar constituency. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of his uncle and father-in-law Arbab Akbar Hayat. Both Arbab Akbar Hayat and Arbab Waseem Hayat were elected on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

In April 2018, Arbab Waseem Hayat quit the PML-N by arguing that it was a party of Punjab only and joined the PTI. Until then he was the only PML-N MPA from Peshawar city district. He got the PTI ticket to contest the July 2018 general election from PK-8 constituency and won the seat.

Arbab Waseem Hayat’s nomination as chairman of the KP Assembly’s Standing Committee on Higher Education is also being discussed on the social media. Most of the tweets criticized his selection as he was a simple graduate and was going to head an assembly standing committee tasked to look after issues concerning post-graduates and even PhDs. Some termed it against the merit and asked why the ruling PTI couldn’t find someone with a higher qualification from among its scores of MPAs to become the chairman of the Standing Committee on Higher Education.

Dr Arshad Rehan, a noted cardiologist tweeted: “His personal education is listed on the assembly website as BA. So someone who has no higher education himself, never been to a Univ, will look after higher education.”