ENGINEERS in Pakistan are facing a grave situation owing to lack of employment opportunities in the country. According to a report by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), published in March 2021, over 100,000 engineers were jobless in the country.

In some cases, graduates of the year 2015 are seen looking for jobs, but to no avail. The PEC is solely responsible for providing jobs to engineers and regulating the industry. However, it has failed miserably in stopping unethical practices, such as the selling of engineering licences and ignoring low wages of engineers.

Thousands of engineers are forced to sell their engineering licences at a throwaway price. For example, an engineer told me he sold his licence for one year at a ‘market price’ of Rs80,000. The reason, he said, was the poor condition of the job market. Mafias and agents are actively involved in these unethical practices mostly conducted through social media groups.

However, the PEC has turned a blind eye towards this malice. It has neither taken any concrete steps towards curbing such malpractices nor has it facilitated engineers in finding jobs.

Another issue with the engineering profession, specifically in the case of civil engineers, is low salary. The average salary that contractors pay to engineers is about Rs20,000, which is less than even the minimum wage (Rs25,000 per month) of an unskilled worker. However, contractors in their documentation to the PEC show the salary as Rs60,000 or even higher that is being supposedly paid to engineers. Those who raise a voice against this injustice, lose their job without any fuss.

The PEC really needs to wake up, step in and fulfil its responsibilities of providing and creating jobs for engineers in Pakistan. It should demand monthly bank statements from the contractors to confirm whether or not they are paying the stated salaries to the engineers. This step will make it nearly impossible for the contractors to buy licences from engineers.

Most importantly, it will also resolve the issue of low salaries. Such steps will not only eradicate unethical practices from the construction industry, but also help government in generating revenue through documentation of the economy.

Engr Ahmad Mukhtar
Swabi

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2022