MULTAN, Dec 8: The Pakistan Engineers Forum (PEF) has urged the National Assembly to immediately restore the pre-Nov 15 status of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).

According to PEF central president Syed Imtiaz Shah, the council had been recognised by the National Assembly in 1976, but the military government of Gen Musharraf defaced it through a presidential ordinance on Nov 15 in order to impose bureaucracy on a professional body.

He said the PEC had achieved its objective of regularizing the standard of engineering in the country during its 27 years of working as a non-political autonomous body and earned a place among the few credible institutions of the country. However, he said, the bureaucracy had been after the PEC since its inception and finally succeeded in achieving its ulterior goals in the reign of Gen Musharraf. “The ill intentions of PEC detractors are evident in the fact that the controversial ordinance was promulgated just a day before the present National Assembly held its first session.”

Mr Shah said only the National Assembly had the authority to change the PEC structure. “Therefore, the NA should immediately suspend implementation of the Nov 15 ordinance and initiate a discussion on it.”

He said the NA should give the PEC an opportunity to plead its case and at the same time direct the architects of the PEC (amendment) ordinance to prove that changes in the PEC structure were indispensable.

Citing the role of the PEC on various issues of national concern, the PEF chief said the council had always endeavoured to make right suggestions to the government regarding policy matters of economic and industrial development, privatization, energy, enhancement and improvement of water resources, environment, science and technology and technical education.

He said that on one hand, the local construction industry was being termed bankrupt and on the other, all major construction contracts were being awarded to foreign firms. The government should provide a conducive atmosphere to the engineering sector before calling it a failure, he maintained.