QUETTA: Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi said on Monday that a provincial education council (PEC) would be established for the promotion of education in the province and all available resources would be used for the purpose.

Presiding over a meeting held in the University of Balochistan (UoB), he said that establishing the PEC had become necessary in view of the present situation of the education sector. The meeting reviewed the financial plight of all universities in the province.

UoB vice chancellor Dr Javed Iqbal, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineer­ing and Management Sciences’ (BUITMS) official Farooq Bazai, Turbat University vice chancellor Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir, provincial finance secretary Noorul Haq Baloch, UoB director general (finance) Junaid Khan Jamaldini and administrators of other universities attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed the impact of financial cuts by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on the universities. They expressed concern over the decision of the HEC and observed that it would affect the research programmes of the universities.

The meeting called for close communication and coordination between all universities of the province launching research-based activities.

Mr Buledi said the provincial government would continue its financial support for all universities in the province so that they could continue providing better education to students.

He said bringing improvement in the education sector was very important for development of Balochistan. He said the provincial government was making a strategy in order to address all issues related to federal government and the HEC.

The vice chancellors informed the finance minister about the financial crisis their universities were facing.

Mr Buledi said the provincial government would arrange a meeting of all vice chancellors with the chief minister in an attempt to find a solution to the current financial crisis the universities were facing.

Dr Javed Iqbal lauded the response of the provincial government and termed the meeting a better approach towards bringing about improvement in the education sector in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2019