Daily Times

Sir: All over Pakistan, engineering institutes are accredited by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) on some pre-defined criteria which include examinations of infrastructure and laboratory equipment. They visit institutes on an annual basis and award recognition and PEC cards to professional engineers. These cards are what an engineer strives for because this is needed before selection for a job.

I studied civil engineering at UET, Peshawar (sub-campus Bannu), during 2009-13. I was awarded degree from the UET, Peshawar, on Dec 16, 2013. But I am yet to receive my PEC card. The reason they give is that our institute was not accredited for the year 2013-14 because of not meeting their criteria for this year. All I want to say is whether this is my or my class fellows’ responsibility to beg for the rightly-deserved PEC cards.

Should we stage protests in front of the office of the vice-chancellor of the UET, Peshawar? We lost a handful of job opportunities just due to lack of the PEC card.

I want the president of Pakistan, governor of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court to take immediate notice of the matter.

I want them to ask for a written reply on the matter from the vice-chancellor and the campus coordinator as we have been told by university authorities that our PEC cards can get as late as next year. What will I do till that time? Should I be at home and do nothing? Even if I pass recruitment tests, I am denied the job as I do not have the PEC card.

Engr Haider Khan

Mardan