ED’s appointment issue: HEC, Education Ministry faceoff continues

KARACHI: Office of the Spokesperson Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has said that selection board consists of 7 members and for a legally valid quorum at least four members attendance is a must.

The chairperson has nominated two members himself which he cannot do in the presence of already approved nominations of ‘the commission’. The HEC chairperson has no inherent powers under the HEC law, his all powers are delegated to him by the Commission. Therefore his nominations are not lawful.

The chairperson reliance upon past practices is a flimsy argument. The ministry has already challenged the Islamabad High Court decision in the Supreme Court.

It is very unfortunate that chairperson after restoration has started misusing his authority by initiating revengeful actions against HEC employees instead of addressing critical policy and governance issues of HEC. The ministry is taking all legal measures to stop HEC plunging into chaos and whimsical decision making by chairperson.

Meanwhile candidate for the post of ED Dr Raheel Qamar said, “I will only participate in the interview if and when Ministry of Education and Professional Training recognises the selection committee”.

Director General (Media) had said that The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan will hold the selection board for the appointment of HEC Executive Director on Thursday.

The selection board consists of HEC chairman, Executive Director, Secretary Ministry of Education, Secretary Ministry of Science & Technology, Member O&T, a Vice Chancellors of a public sector university, and an expert of the field.

In this regard, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training had raised some objections to the composition of the board. However, HEC in a statement termed the Ministry’s objections as unjustified, patently mala fide, and tantamount to interference in the internal matters of an autonomous institution.

The ministry has objected to the replacement of two members, who had been appointed by the previous dispensation.

The HEC clarified that these two expert members are always appointed by the chairman for each selection cycle, and that there is no precedent wherein the selection board was ever constituted in any different way.

The ministry also made some rather opaque and intrusive observations to coerce HEC into adopting the government’s MP Scale Policy 2020 wholesale. HEC clarified that under its law, HEC is not obligated to adopt any policy wholesale. Rather, government policies are often adopted, with any amendments deemed necessary, simply in the interest of convenience and compatibility. HEC, as an autonomous body, has its own recruitment rules, and at this point the provisions of the government’s MP Scale Policy 2020 are not applicable to it.