- Senator Bushra Anjum Butt emphasizes need for timely allocations for HEC’s IRSIP Program
ISLAMABAD: Senator Bushra Anjum Butt emphasized the need for timely allocations for the HEC’s International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP), noting that a final decision is anticipated by the end of December.
She was chairing the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training in Islamabad.
Currently, 266 out of 515 candidate reviews have been completed, and the Chair stressed the importance of documenting this timeline to ensure results are released as scheduled.
During the meeting, Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan also highlighted the issue of retired college teachers from FUUAST University Karachi who are not receiving their due pensions and other allowances. It was directed that the matter be discussed in detail at the next meeting, and the Ministry will provide detailed information on the matter.
The issue of derogatory remarks about Pashtuns in an O-Level Urdu book, raised by Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan during the Senate sitting on October 18, 2024, was thoroughly discussed. It was reported that actions have been taken to ban the book, and the author has submitted a written apology. The Secretary of Education noted that while language is regulated, content varies by province.
Senator Bilal expressed frustration over the book’s continued availability. Chairperson Senator Bushra emphasized the federal government’s role in overseeing educational content and called for the publisher and author to attend the next meeting.
She highlighted that such content promotes hate speech and negatively impacts children, recommending that the Ministry of Education issue a directive to all provinces to withdraw the book from circulation. This action, she stated, would serve as a warning to other writers and publishers against harmful content. She also recommended that the author must provide explanations, offer an apology, and be held accountable in the next meeting.
The meeting also addressed the Calling Attention Notice from Senators Aimal Wali Khan and Hidayatullah Khan regarding the hunger strike of academic and teaching staff at Balochistan University due to unpaid salaries. Senator Hidayatullah stressed the need to allocate 4% of GDP to education, given the deteriorating state of education in Balochistan.
The HEC Chairman agreed, noting that insufficient funding for higher education has led to a reliance on private institutions and that poor governance has resulted in the appointment of Acting Vice-Chancellors.
Senator Bushra called for a policy change to ensure that Acting Vice-Chancellors do not have the same privileges as permanent ones and urged for a permanent VC to be appointed within a specified timeframe, as universities suffer without stable leadership. She also noted multiple complaints regarding issues caused by Acting VCs when permanent VCs arrive.
To address these concerns, she proposed that the next meeting provide a list of universities with appointed VCs, specifying any interim positions and their expected timelines. Senator Bushra emphasized the importance of involving the Planning and Finance Ministries in this serious matter, urging the committee to take a strong stance.
