ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has deferred its decision to establish computer centres in five city colleges under a public-private partnership after an alleged shady deal was exposed, education ministry sources said.

The FDE officials, in a letter titled “Establishment of Computer Centres”, written to the managing director Pakistan Education Network (PEN), Maj-Gen (Rtd) Khawaja Rahat Latif, said: “The matter may please be delayed for the time being in view of certain unforeseen developments engaging the FDE.”

The project was allegedly doled out to the retired general’s company through a dubious process and in violation of official rules. The matter was revealed in Dawn after which the FDE authorities deferred the matter to ward off pressure.

The colleges where the computer centres were to be established under the project are: FG College for Women F-7/2, FG Margalla College for Women F-7/4, FG College for Women G-10/4, FG College of Commerce H-8/4 and Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3.

According to the record procured from the FDE director general’s office, the agreement deed between the FDE and the PEN was prepared sometime in December 2000. However, the principals concerned were informed about the decision in the first week of September 2001. A meeting of the principals was convened, wherein they were informed that “negotiations have entered final stages and will soon be finalized.”

The principals, on condition of anonymity, have also contended that they were ignorant about the deal. Immediately after getting allegedly manipulated ratification, the FDE asked the PEN MD to send in a team for further proceedings.

Meanwhile, the press got the wind of the decision, hence the FDE deferred the project. The official sources said the policy of public-private partnership applied to cases were the institutions were not apparently able to run a project due to a lack of infrastructural facilities and financial constraints.

However, they added, the five institutions had proper infrastructure and were fully capable of running their own programmes due to strong financial status.—By Zahra Syed