February 02, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 23, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: Consumer Rights Protection Commission of Pakistan (CRPC) has strongly opposed the interim government’s bid to approve the draft national education policy.

It said approval of the policy by a caretaker government would serve the vested interests and lack credibility and ownership.

The CRCP said the government had decided to accord approval to the revised draft policy on February 4, just two weeks before the general elections, which was against democratic norms.

During the tenure of previous elected government, the Federal Ministry of Education undertook a review process to revise the national education policy 1998-2010 through consultations with key stakeholders. A revised draft policy was developed in 2007.

The draft, however, was not approved because it could not be presented to the cabinet for discussion.

As a result, it could not be put before the parliament for debate as well.

The CRCP said the task of caretaker government was to run the routine business and ensure transparency in elections. It does not have the necessary mandate from the public to enforce such a crucial policy in absence of an elected government.

He regretted that the caretaker government had reversed the decisions of an elected government by changing the academic sessions.

The previous government had notified academic session from August to May, whereas the present caretaker government has undone this decision by granting approval of session from April with summer vacations falling within the session.

The Secretary General CRCP said that nowhere in the world do the interim governments reverse major decisions of elected governments or take on the responsibility of enforcing major policies.

The role expected from them is to manage the affairs of the government on day-to-day basis until new government is elected through fair and free elections, he remarked.

The CRCP urged the interim government, particularly the interim minister for education, to leave it for the next elected government to approve the proposed draft national education policy. It stressed that the revised draft must be approved only after proper debate in the elected parliament.