ISLAMABAD: The elected representatives of the Islamabad chapter of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) have expressed deep concern over the growing interference of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the universities. The meeting of the elected representatives of the Islamabad chapter of the FAPUASA was held here. The elected representatives of the Academic Staff Association of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Quaid-i-Azam University unanimously passed a resolution to jointly counter all future attempts of the HEC undermining the autonomy of the universities. It is stated that the decisions of the statutory bodies of the universities such as selection boards, academic councils and syndicate cannot be overturned by the HEC as per rules and regulations. They were of the view that the HEC had its role as a facilitator, not as a regulator or a law-making body or an administrator controlling all activities of the universities. Under the HEC Act, it is a recommendatory body and therefore cannot dictate or overrule decisions of the statutory and law-making bodies of the universities. FAPUASA condemns the tactics of the HEC under a self-invented condition of so-called “Endorsement” of appointments made by the statutory bodies of the universities, which has no roots even implied in any version of the Tenure Trace Statutes (TTS). They demanded that such illegal practice should be stopped immediately. This illegal practice of HEC is being used to victimise some faculty members on the one hand and favour some others on the other. FAPUASA representatives reviewed all the issues faced by the faculty including irregularities by HEC officials in distribution of travel grants. The universities decided to convene meetings of their respective forums of the Academic Staff Associations to get approval of future course of action and also decided to extend their coordination and cooperation to faculties of more than a dozen universities/degree awarding institutions located in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. They decided to meet every month and hold meetings as per need to discuss and undertake joint actions to protect their legitimate rights and take all-out measures to counter any action against autonomy of the universities in Pakistan. The president of the ASA of the QAU invited all university representatives to the QAU for the next meeting on May 5, three days after the general body meeting of the ASA of the QAU and the invitation was happily accepted by all university bodies. This meeting would be followed by a formal press conference at the Islamabad Press Club. A response would be sent to the HEC consultant on quality assurance in writing on an un-authorized letter to public universities of Pakistan.