News Detail
Event Title: Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training presiding over a meeting of the Committee at Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Islamabad
Event Date: 2026-02-11
The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training met today under the chairmanship of Senator Bushra Anjum Butt directed that the meeting held at PIFD be considered null and void, declaring it to have been conducted with malafide intention, against the prescribed rules and without the approval of the Presidency.
During briefing by the Higher Education Commission regarding a recent meeting held at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design. The Chair took serious notice of the matter, Raising further concerns, Senator Butt questioned how a Vice Chancellor, against whom an inquiry had already been opened for allegedly governing above the rules and who had remained in office for more than 25 years, could continue to function and allegedly plan to treat the position as an inherited right, including reported intentions of facilitating the appointment of her sister as Vice Chancellor. She stated that the Committee declares her retired and the meeting as malafide in intention, adding that such actions ridicule the sanctity of this august House where an inquiry was already underway. She maintained that no post or seat should have been given to her until clearance of the inquiry.
The Committee also objected to her absence from a previous meetings and referred the matter to the Privilege Committee to seek an explanation regarding her non-attendance.
“The Vice Chancellor who is going above the rules is not bigger than the system,” Senator Butt said.
She further questioned under what capacity a hostel had been opened when only six months were left before the Vice Chancellor’s retirement. The Chair referred the case to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance to examine the matter and determine whether the action was taken beyond lawful authority.
Senator Butt emphasized that these steps were not directed against any individual but against the practice of running public institutions as private businesses. “These actions are not against any one particular person but against the norms of owning public institutions as private business,” she said, adding that the Committee’s stance would set an example for all Vice Chancellors in future not to misuse authority or act above the law and institutional framework.
As a future measure, she announced that the Committee would undertake provincial visits to universities within its domain to personally assess whether institutions are functioning in accordance with the rules.
She also informed the Committee that despite full preparations, the Secretary Ministry of Education had refused the Committee’s visit to the Urdu University Lahore, citing the need to save government finances. Senator Butt clarified that the Committee was travelling domestically to Lahore to assess the situation, particularly in light of reports that employees, allegedly unpaid pensions, were committing suicide. It was decided that the committee would be conducting town halls as inviting only the Chancellors do not give the full picture of the universities.
However, the names of Mr. Muhammad Raza Chohan and Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi were subsequently removed from the matter after it was clarified that the issue stemmed from a misunderstanding regarding the alleged remarks.
Highlighting the broader mandate of the Committee, Senator Butt stated that its role is not limited to taking up agenda items but also ensuring constant follow-up on decisions and implementation.
Addressing concerns regarding fake degrees, she reiterated that a permanent help desk would be deputed at the Higher Education Commission for assessment and verification. “Students will not pay for our negligence. I will get to the root of all the institutions which were unverified. We will collect exact data on the number of fake degrees issued and will not allow fake degrees to pass through such lenience, while ensuring that students get their due right,” she said. The Secretary assured the establishment of the desk with immediate effect.
The committee that took place to deliberate on key issues concerning higher education governance, transparency, financial management and institutional accountability.
Detailed Review of NAVTTC’s Functioning and Financial Management
The Committee then took up the agenda forwarded by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan regarding the functioning, transparency, financial management, selection criteria, third-party evaluation mechanism and performance outcomes of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission during the past five years.
During the briefing, NAVTTC informed the Committee that its primary mandate is qualification development and framework implementation. In response to questions raised by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan regarding the total number of students trained, the Committee was informed that 71,000 students were trained in 2025. Of these, 6,200 students belonged to Balochistan and 43,000 to Punjab.
Upon inquiry about any fixed quota for South Punjab, it was stated that no such quota exists.
Regarding financial allocations, NAVTTC informed the Committee that its annual budget stands at Rs7 billion. On average, expenditure per student ranges from Rs80,000 to Rs140,000. It was further briefed that a joint account is established between NAVTTC and the concerned institution after approval from the steering committee, and that the budget is disbursed directly to institutions for training courses.
However, a student representative from South Punjab, present during the meeting, claimed that only Rs1,500 per student is being provided for training courses.
After hearing both parties patiently, the Chair decided to constitute a sub-committee headed by Senator Kamran Murtaza to investigate the matter, identify institutions allegedly involved in embezzlement under the name of NAVTTC and trace those responsible.
Legislative and Policy Matters Deferred
Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan
Senator Khalida Ateeb
Senator Kamran Murtaza
Senator Shahadat Awan Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan (Mover) also attended the meeting