Islamabad-Technical Committee of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) has failed to hold its first meeting to discuss the devolution of Higher Education Commission (HEC), an official said on Friday. Talking to The Nation, the official said the meeting was scheduled to be held on March 16 but was postponed without any reason.

The CCI’s sub-committee to deal with the devolution of HEC had constituted a technical committee to find a solution of the issue. In the last meeting of sub-committee held in the chair of Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reforms on February 14, 2017, it was decided to form a technical committee to reach any conclusion regarding devolution of the HEC. The technical committee comprises two members from all the provinces to discuss and find solution to the matters relating to HEC.

In a notification issued by the Ministry of Federal Education& Professional Training, all the provinces were requested to send names of nominees for the committee. Along with the notification, Terms of References (TORs) were also set to find suitable arrangements of Higher Education sector governance. In given TORs, all provinces and HEC were asked to give their proposals required in post 18th Constitutional Amendment Scenario in the HEC Act No. LIII of 2002 to the ministry.

“The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training would consolidate the proposals and reports received from the provinces and HEC and would submit the same to the Federal Minister for Planning Development and Reforms, who will constitute a High Powered Task Force (HPTF) on Higher Education Sector,” stated the notification.

The official said the HPTF was given the mandate to review the reports in the light of needs of the Higher Education Sector Development in the country. It was also given the responsibility to submit its recommendations on the higher education sector governance to the Minister for Planning, Development and Reform.

A source informed The Nation the matter of devolution of HEC is not on the priority list of all concerned departments and is deliberately being delayed. The source said the issue will be lingering as the government does not want the HEC’s devolution. Provinces of Punjab and Sindh have already announced the establishment of provincial HECs while Balochistan has also written a letter supporting the post 18th amendment scenario for the devolution of higher education.

In the current situation, higher education institutions are functional under provincial authorities while financially being managed from federal HEC. “This situation is somehow affecting the institutions administratively which will also affect their rankings and performance,” the source said. The source said the CCI has also limited role and it cannot affect the policies.

Earlier Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on the devolution of HEC had also stated that after the 18th amendment HEC had a very limited role. He had also refused to accept the stance of State Minister for Federal Education that HEC should have a role in the verification of degrees to keep the standard of education high as compared to the other world. The official from Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training was unaware regarding postponement of any meeting of Technical Committee of CCI’s subcommittee.

An official from the HEC said that the matter of devolution is being delayed due to incomplete legislation. He said that SC had directed the legislative bodies to complete the legislation on devolution of HEC. 

Official said that until the legislation process is completed, powers could not be transferred to provincial HECs.

“Devolution involves a legal process and until it is completed the HEC cannot transfer the powers overnight,” he said.