Pakistani University teachers' retirement age being enhanced: Reports
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ISLAMABAD: Senate Functional Committee on Devolution on Thursday recommended that retirement age of university teachers should be extended to 65 years and to give them Tax Rebate of 75%.
The meeting was held here at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Mir Kabir Ahmed Shahi. Members of the committee including Senators, Taj Haider, Kamil Ali Agha, M. Ilyas Blour, Liaquat Khan Tarakai ans Sassui Palijo.
Officials from HEC and Cabinet Division attended the meeting.The Committee discussed the public petition by the all Pakistan Teachers Associations regarding the implementation of 18th amendment in Higher Education Sector confining role of Federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) to formulation of standards and enhancing legitimate role of provincial governments specially in funding and implementation of Higher Education Policy.
They claimed that HEC is encroaching on their rights since the subject is now devolved and the Federal HEC has no right to interfere in their matters.
TheChairman HEC along with voice chancellor (govt universities) from all provinces attended the meeting and submit their response on the said agenda and told the committee that HEC is abundantly cooperating with universities and looking after the matters after the devolution of powers.
Chairman HEC briefed the committee and assured that the only intervention that the HEC does is in matters of maintain the standards and quality of the education on national basic.
The Secretary cabinet division informed the Committee about their recent CCI meeting and said that Prime Minister has designed a special task force under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Education in this regard and this force has to take prompt action to demarcate the boundaries between the provincial and Federal HEC and they are to meet again on 24th December for this purpose.
Other agenda relating to the devolution of PTDC to provinces and the liquidation of its assets among the Provinces that not only translates into the violation of the constitution but also raises question on the implementation of the 18th Amendment.
The M.D PTDC highlighted the background of the situation arise and the legal advisor gave the presentation and adopted the view that although the subject of Tourism was devolved but the PTDC is a corporation which was established in 1971 and registered under the Companies Act 1911 and since the company cannot be devolved, they also briefed that since the PTDC being a corporation is still a federal owned company therefore all the assets wherever in the country they maybe they are still the ownership of the federal government and their liquidation now will create unequal distribution between the provinces as some provinces have more assets than the others but the committee and all its members were of the view that those assets are the ownership of the provinces and should be handed over to Federal.
Chairman directed the Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) to give the detailed briefing on PTDC Budget, Balance sheet, Auditors report, working staff and details of all of its assets provincial and city wise.
The chairman committee asked about the pending salaries of the staff in response, MD PTDC told that regular salaries are paying on regular basis and promised that few months arrear would be paid within next two months.
