ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP)’s Senator Dr Abdullah Riar on Monday criticized the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for making a huge allocation of Rs1.36 billion for the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry during the last five years.

Speaking during the question hour, Dr Riar said it was “unjustified” to allocate huge amount only for one institution while several research institutions were functioning in the country.

In a written reply to the question of Dr Riar, Education Minister Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi had told the house that the HEC had released grants worth Rs1.36 billion to the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry at the University of Karachi from 2000-01 to 2004-05.

The PPP senator said “there seemed to be a conflict of interest” as the HEC chairman (Dr Attaur Rehman) had previously worked as head of the HEJ Institute.”

Responding to the points, the education minister said his ministry had no control over the HEC which was an independent body. He said the HEC chairman was still a member of the governing body of the HEJ Institute, and as he was also an adviser to the prime minister, he should come to the house and respond to the questions.

Dr Riar said the education minister had not given reply to his another question regarding the source of funding for Comstech.

He asked the minister to explain as to why his question had been dropped.

Giving the reason, the minister said his ministry had been told by the HEC that Comstech did not come under its purview.

He also asked the Senate chairman to direct the secretariat staff not to refer such questions to the ministry which did not relate to it.

Later, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi told the house that being an adviser to the prim minister with the status of a federal minister, Dr Ata could attend the session and respond to questions.