LAHORE - The Punjab Vocational Training Council, a government institution that trains the youth in a number of trades to prepare them for a variety of jobs in public and private sectors, has become a rudderless ship as the term of the very body that supervises it expired back in April and there is no alternative arrangement in place since then.
The governing council comprising Punjab secretaries for finance, Zakat and higher education in addition to 12 members from the private sector, is reconstituted every three years. However, the legal requirement is yet to be met, because of which decision-making in PVTC has been badly affected.
Sources privy to the situation say that the chairman Faisal Ijaz and managing director Sajid Naseer of the PVTC happen to be the son-in-law and the father-in-law and they take whatever decisions they like. “The PVTC has become a family concern of the father-in-law and the son-in-law”, commented the sources seeking anonymity.
The managing director’s service was extended twice after his retirement which, it is said, was without any justification.
UAE media delegation visits PU
A media delegation from UAE (United Arab Emirates) visited Punjab University vice chancellor’s office and Institute of Communication Studies on Thursday to know about university’s role in the society and working of its media department.
The three-member delegation was headed by Gulf News Associate Editor Ms Jumna Al Tamimi and comprised Khaleej Times Senior Reporter David Light and Editor Al-Bayan Newspaper Mostafa Khalifa.
To a question about Pakistan and Pakistani people image, the delegation leader Ms Jumna said that the image of Pakistan in her mind was changed to 180 degrees as she was visiting the country for the first time.
Dr. Knawal Amin briefed the delegation that Punjab University has five campuses, 45,000 students from across Pakistan, 1000 regular faculty members. To a question she said PU has 51% female students and 49% male students with female faculty working on key posts. She said PU has signed MoUs with universities of US, Europe and Gulf Countries and she soon after taking charge as Director External Linkages was working to activate all these MoUs for exploiting these agreements to increase exchange of faculty and student.
