HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Move-ment-Pakistan chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, who is also the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, has called for creation of more provinces in view of increasing population of the country. “Leaving this decision up to provincial assemblies is a clear conflict of interest,” he said while addressing a ceremony organised at the Hyderabad Institute of Technology and Management Sciences (HITMS) in Latifabad on Saturday. The institute has been set up lately in the Kohsar area by the MQM-P to promote higher education.
The federal minister said that the MQM-P would introduce a constitutional amendment that would give the right (to create provinces) to the National Assembly.
He clarified that his party wanted “completion of the 18th Amendment”, and not to roll it back because this amendment was aimed at empowerment local governments in urban and rural areas as the third tier of government.
Dr Siddiqui said that the HITMS is imparting education to 250 students in various disciplines when compared with the 14-seat quota for Hyderabad district in the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET).
Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui says MQM-P will bring constitutional amendment to give such right to NA
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Engineer Mansoorul Haq Siddiqui, the country header of the Tang Chinese International Education & technology and HITMS Rector Prof Dr Saeeduddin to deliver dual module (virtual and physical) Chinese language courses and skills training courses.
Mansoor Siddiqui gave an idea of how the MoU would promote technological education at the HITMS to enable youth get jobs in Chinese companies and in China.
University for Hyderabad
Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that while the HITMS has been established here, the political question remained unanswered as to why setting up a university in Hyderabad even after 70 years “is considered a crime”, alluding to MQM’s allegation that it was not being established deliberately. He reminded people how a PPP education minister had remarked that “a university in Hyderabad will be established over my body”.
“When HITMS will start performing, establishment of more universities will become destiny of this area and everyone will be vying to set up their campus here,” he said.
Dr Siddiqui said that the modernisation and development taking place in world outpaced everything and people must realise that those who did not keep the pace with technical advancement would either fade away or become irrelevant.
He alleged that the Sindh chief minister changed the rules when he (Dr Khalid) spoke to the NED vice chancellor on setting up its campus in Hyderabad. He said a campus of NED was indeed set up in Tharparkar.
Dr Siddiqui said now quota would not prevent people from pursuing higher education.
He noted that China had proved that population of any country should not be taken as liability but an asset. He asserted that China was guaranteeing jobs to youth. He said that if Pakistan could export anything, it was the talent, pointing out that “we have 150m to 180m talented youth who could be sent abroad, including China, so that they could experience developed world and real democracy. “These youths on return can serve their country,” he said.
Rector Dr Saeed pointed out that HITMS was at a nascent stage nowadays but it has started class for Chinese language as external language study. He said that a dual module programme would also be launched in the institute soon in which students would study here and in China for a diploma. He said that robotic sciences diploma study would also be started.
He said that drone technology classes were being planned as this would benefit those working in farm sector. “Drone is not only restricted to photography or video making, but it’s largely used for cultivating seed and spraying pesticides that ensure uniform application of everything and ultimately leads to growth in per acre productivity,” he said.
Dr Saeed said that now 200 students could study data sciences and software at the HITMS. He said that the journey started by this institute is too long.
Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025
