HEC employees ask Dr Atta not to twist facts
The HEC employees have asked former HEC chairman Dr Atta-ur-Rehman not to twist facts.
ISLAMABAD: The Officers Welfare Association and Employees Welfare Association of the Higher Education Commission, representing over 600 permanent employees of HEC, have urged former chairman HEC Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman to refrain from twisting the facts regarding recent controversy over illegal extension given to Dr Sohail Naqvi.
In a statement, HEC employees deplored the stance taken by Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, saying that he is playing with the future of higher education sector by wrongly justifying a clear-cut violation of law by Dr Sohail Naqvi and diverting public’s attention to the settled issue of autonomy of the institution.
“As per verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, given in April 2011, the Government cannot abolish HEC’s autonomy but Dr. Atta is deliberately politicizing the facts because he has many interests directly associated with Dr. Naqvi,” the statement said.
“Had Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, during his tenure, got approved HEC rules from the Federal Government (vide HEC Ordinance, chapter 2, clause 12-i) for recruitment of officers, this dispute would not have occurred.”
They asserted that probably Dr. Atta is afraid that Rs. 30 million being annually given by HEC to Pakistan Academy of Sciences, of which he is the Chairman, and Rs. 45 million being poured into the accounts of HEJ Research Institute, Dr. Atta’s base camp, may be hindered. Moreover, the case of eating up/misappropriation Rs. 16 billion on account of establishing nine engineering universities may be re-opened.”
The employees demanded from the Prime Minister, who is the controlling authority of HEC, to initiate probe into the misappropriation of HEC funds and those found guilty must be punished according to law of the land.
