ISLAMABAD: After Senate, the National Assembly also passed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) amendment bill, increasing the representation of provinces in it.

The bill, which faced controversies in recent months, was with some amendments passed by the Senate standing committee recently before it sailed through the upper house of parliament on Sunday.

On Monday, it was tabled in the National Assembly, which also passed it.

Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain said after approval of the bill, provinces will have more role in HEC. He said that earlier there were four provincial representatives in the commission and now their number has doubled.

Similarly, he said the process of appointment of the executive director (ED) of HEC, who also acted as the principal accounting officer, had been changed and now a high-powered committee after a competitive process will fill the post. The minister said the tenure of the HEC chairman, which was originally four years, was reduced to two years but the previous PTI government. But, he said, through the bill the tenure of has also been increased to four years.

Though the minister did not say anything about ending the ministerial status of the HEC chairman, an official said after approval of the bill the status had ended.

Earlier, the Senate standing committee had also recommended ending the ministerial status of the HEC chief.

Speaking on the floor of the house, the minister said the bill was meant for bringing an improvement in the higher education sector. Many people without getting an NOC opened new universities only on the basis of the provincial charter. He said before opening a new university, HEC’s NOC was mandatory.

He said after this legislation, the HEC will be strengthened to take action against such universities.

He pealed the house to approve the bill. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also supported the bill, which was passed.

However, JUI member Aliya Kamran opposed the bill, saying KP and Balochistan, there were no provincial HECs so how their chiefs can become member of of the central HEC. However, she was told by the education minister that the provincial government can nominate anyone.

The bill had faced opposition from planning minster Ahsan Iqbal and even Senate Standing Committee on Education Chairman Irfan Siddiqui had initially apposed it.

Through an official letter, Mr Iqbal had sensitised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the proposed changes, saying the proposed bill was “processed and pushed without identifying and debating the purpose of proposed amendments.”

Similarly, the PPP senior leader Raza Rabbani had also opposed the bill.

Later, some amendments were made to the bill before tabling it in the Senate. The bill will now be sent to the president for his approval.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023