Senators upset at absence of officials from meeting

Islamabad: A sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training met here to examine research journals of five universities and their approval and publishing methods.

Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad chaired the meeting at Parliament House. At the outset of the meeting, the chair expressed annoyance at the absence of the officers of relevant departments, earlier committed to giving a presentation on the subject The officers included the Vice-Chancellors of the University of Balochistan, Quetta, University of Punjab, Lahore, University of Karachi, Karachi, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman. The committee ordered disciplinary action against the absentees in case of their failure to justify their failure to show up in the meeting. The committee sought their reply within a week.

The meeting was called off with the assurance by the Additional Secretary regarding the concerned officers to put an appearance in the next meeting. Senator Fawzia Arshad, parliamentary secretary and additional secretary of the ministry of federal education also attended the meeting.