NA authorities orders HEC to close universities’ sub-campuses

Islamabad: National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training Wednesday took the strict notice of large number of universities’ sub-campuses that are open in small homes and buildings across the country and also instructed the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan to close these campuses without any delay.

The meeting was organized at HEC Secretariat and chaired by MNA Col. (Retd) Amirullah Marwat on Wednesday.  

In the meeting, it was said that these un-constitutional campuses were the actual cause behind the decreasing quality of education in varsities.

Chairperson of Higher Education Commission certified the National Assembly body of closing down these un-constitutional campuses and sought help also from the members of NA body.

The committee was also notified that a number of universities have occupied thousands of acres land worth millions of rupees whereas it can be used for many other reasons like agriculture sector.

The Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Engineer Muhammad Baligh ur Rahman while highlighting the advantages of Prime Minister Laptop Scheme said that these laptops were being offered to the brilliant aspirants along with 75%, adding that through the scheme the learning of the aspirants have been improved.

The chairperson of Higher Education Commission, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad informed the committee regarding the role of commission and also said that number of universities in 2002 was 59 which have now reached to 178.

Moreover, the committee suggested that every province should spend more funds for the promotion of higher education.

Dr Mukhtar told the National Assembly body that higher Education Commission has evolved its whole system according to the international standards and it is the reason that Ten Pakistani Universities have ranked in the top 300 universities of Asia.