Prof. Atta Reveals Punjab, KP against HEC’s Abolition

(By Tariq Butt, The News, April 4- 2011)

The former Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Prof Attaur Rahman, says corrupt politicians, having their eyes on Rs40 billion annual budget of the HEC and on prime lands worth billions, are out to destroy it (HEC), but Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are against its dissolution.
“This will be a national disaster of horrendous magnitude that will push Pakistan back by 40-50 years. We have already seen the mess in the provinces at school level education through the multiplicity of standards and multiplicity of boards of education. The same is now happening at the higher education level,” the eminent professor told The News when his views were elicited on the planned disbandment of the HEC and its devolution to the provinces.
He said the HEC was the baby of the prime minister, who appointed its chairman and its governing body members. He appealed to him to intervene and save this wonderful organization rather than allowing it to be carved up into little pieces and handed over to the provinces.
The president and the prime minister need to personally intervene and stop this tragic development.Prof Attaur Rahman asked if HEC’s dissolution was not contempt of the Supreme Court, what it was. “In its landmark judgment, the court had asked the Election Commission to get MPs’ degrees verified by the HEC.
The HEC’s dissolution and movement of its core function of degree recognition and maintenance of standards under the Cabinet Division means the government would now have direct control on whose degree to recognize and whose to not recognize. The shift of the HEC degree recognition and attestation function to the Cabinet Division has nothing to do with devolution and everything to do with MPs with fake degrees.”
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