ISLAMABAD, The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, chaired by Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui, unanimously passed the “Islamabad Capital Territory Student Unions Bill, 2023,” introduced by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, at a meeting held at Parliament House. The bill aims to promote healthy activities in educational institutions through student unions.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the Committee addressed various issues, including the distinctions between Tenure Track System (TTS) and Basic Pay Scale (BPS) for technologists and their promotion policies. Concerns were raised about ongoing conflicts due to the absence of a structured service system for technologists, with suggestions to merge TTS and BPS to resolve the issues.
The Committee also discussed the Disposal of Public Petition regarding the placement of PhD scholars at the University of Swabi. Committee members expressed concerns over the exclusion of employees who have served for five years without replacement, and a volunteer from the university highlighted the termination of PhD scholars recruited under the IPFP Program following a court proceeding.
The Chairman of the Higher Education Commission was tasked to consult with stakeholders and propose a solution to the Committee. The Committee also reviewed the Private Members Bill and the Protection of Family Life and Wedlock Bill 2023, directing the case to the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training presented its progress on various matters, including the regularization of 137 teachers in the Federal Directorate of Education and the non-payment of salaries to reinstated teachers. The Committee directed the Ministry to provide a detailed report on salary payments.
Senator Prof. Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani raised concerns about the service structure for technologists, and the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission acknowledged the Pakistan Engineering Council’s agreement to grant equal status to technologists.
Regarding Bahauddin Zakariya University’s law students’ re-examination, the Vice Chancellor stated that re-examinations have been conducted for students from 2015 to 2017, with the 2018 to 2021 case pending in the Supreme Court. The Committee also directed the Higher Education Commission to take legal action against unlawful educational institutions.
The meeting was attended by senators Prof. Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani, Falak Naz, Engr. Ruksana Zuberi, Fawzia Arshad, Maulvi Faiz Muhammad, Bahramand Khan Tangi, and officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry for Federal Education and Professional Training.