Islamabad : Higher Education Commission( HEC) has played a key role in organizing the Higher Education sector in Pakistan which has the lowest literacy rate in the region. HEC programs improved the working of Universities in Pakistan
and also significantly increased the number of Ph.D’sin the country.The decision of devolving the HEC to the provinces will be extremely damaging for Pakistan and will have a negative impact on the over all educational structure of the country and eventually lead it towards disaster in the education sector of the country, said Mahfooz Elahi, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) while commenting over the decision of the Government.He said that government’s decision is not only disappointing, but also discouraging for the future growth of the country. The country in the current dismal economic scenario needs the highly qualifiedscientists, researchers and economist to drive the economy forward and the dissolution of HEC would stop that process and push Pakistan backwards, he added.President ICCI said that spending in education sector is very low as a result of which education levelin the country is going down and this decision would further put a big dent on the fragile and weak education system.He was of the view that Pakistan must develop a big pool of Ph.D’s who could contribute in developing future roadmap and strategy for the economic uplift, but such adverse decision of the government wouldforce the people to leave the country and use their potentials in other economies of the world. Beforethe establishment of HEC, number of Ph.D students was around 50 since 1947, but practical measures being undertaking by HEC for the improvement of higher education, this number has increased to 600, headded.He said that ICCI would arrange a conference of the researchers and chambers across the country against this brutal decision and urge that the government in the best interest of the nation should immediately withdraw the decision to protect the education sector from further damage.President ICCI lauded that British government has announced a substantial amount for the uplift of education in Pakistan but showed disappointment that on other hand our own government is taking negative measures to discourage researchers and scholars.ICCI President was of the view that devolution of HEC will reverse all the efforts and practical plansbeing taken for the improvement of educational set-up in Pakistan at par with international standard. He said that HEC was one of sectors of Pakistan that was growing. Thus, HEC status should not be changed because it has given spectacular results, adding HEC should remain under the Federal Legislative list.
