Political influence

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) was set up as a statutory body under the Constitution Act 1976 to regulate the engineering profession in Pakistan. Its stated mission was to set internationally relevant standards of professional competence and ethics for engineers, and to licence engineers and engineering institutions to competently and professionally promote and uphold the standards. Over the years, we witnessed the professional growth of the institution. There is still a lot desired on the ‘competency and ethics’ front.

As it is in other regulatory bodies, the PEC isn’t free from political influence. However, it’s the first time that there has been such a blatant political interference. A sitting PTI MNA is all set to contest the upcoming elections for the post of PEC chairman. This was least expected from the PTI as it is supposed to be the party which will bring ‘change’ to the country. It should discourage all kinds of interference, be it political or otherwise, in the working of state institutions – especially regulatory bodies. Given that such candidacies can open the floodgates to more political influence and overwhelm the independence of the institution that is destined to become a premier regulatory body of Pakistan, political figures should be asked to refrain from contesting such elections.

Sohail Maqbool Gallian

Rawalpindi