ISLAMABAD-The technical engineers on Monday held a protest outside Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the approval of service structure.
The protest organiser Adil Hameed talking to The Nation said that the all Pakistan technical engineers with diploma and B-Tech degrees organised a protest before HEC to resolve their outstanding issues.
He said that all universities and colleges are offering four-year technology degree and thousands of students complete their education every year. He said, however, still their future is uncertain regarding service structure.
Adil said that National Technology Council (NTC) Act is pending before HEC for the last four years because of the discrimination being done with the programme.
He alleged that Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) is the biggest hurdle in approval of NTC Act and HEC is favouring the PEC.
He added that due to opposition of PEC the chairman HEC has not completed the legislation and sent the act for the approval of the Parliament.
“In absence of act the associate engineers will be deprived of jobs as there will be no service structure for them,” he said. Another participant Athar Javed said that the associate engineers are not only unemployed but getting over age to apply on any government post.
He said that the matter has been repeatedly raised before Chairman HEC, Federal Minister for Science and Technology and on Pakistan Citizen Portal but no progress has been observed so far.
He said that the associate engineers will stage a sit-in if their demands are not met as their future has been put on the stake.
A statement issued said the Young Engineering Technologists Association (YETA) demanded immediate approval of NTC Act and service structure of associate engineers.
It also demanded equivalence of B.Sc technology/BE-TECH honors degree with BSc engineering degree and starting of M.Sc and PhD technology programmes immediately. Technology degree is earned after three years of associate engineering degree.