Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday directed the finance ministry to ensure the provision of uninterrupted funds to cope with the needs of the higher education sector regardless of the economic difficulties confronting the country.

Chairing a meeting to review the matters related to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), he directed to transfer financial powers to the HEC executive director, also the principal accounting officer of the institution, to avoid any delay in release of funds, a Prime Minister Office press release said.

Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Advisor on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, special assistants to prime minister Dr Sania Nishtar, Dr Firdous Ahiq Awan, Dr Zafar Mirza, Usman Dar, Dr Moeed Yousuf, HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Binori, Consultant on Institutional Reforms Dr Fazal Abbas Mekan also attended the meeting. The HEC chairman briefed the meeting on the reforms introduced by the commission, and the issues being faced by the institution.

In his briefing, the education minister said the easy access to higher education for students, improving the quality of faculty and graduates and uplifting the research standards in accordance with modern day needs were the challenges facing the HEC. He said the HEC has devised a comprehensive reforms programme to address the administrative issues as well as cope with the requirement of the capable human resource. The prime minister instructed the HEC to formulate the curriculum in a way to acquaint the youth about the Islamic teachings, eastern values, local culture and the philosophy of the great saints. He said the onslaught of technology and western and other alien cultures poses threats to indigenous culture and traditions besides creating extremism by estranging the youth from the teachings of Islam and saints.

The prime minister also constituted a committee under the education minister to address the issues of resources, financial rules and regulations of the universities. The committee will present a report to the prime minister recommending the steps to achieve the autonomy and improve their administration. The prime minister also directed the education minister to formulate a joint strategy in coordination with the provincial governments to establish universities across the country, improve their standards and work out the matters concerning the curriculum and higher education.