HEC creates hurdles in awarding scholarships to FATA students

ISLAMABAD: Students hailing from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have alleged Higher Education Commission (HEC) was putting their future at stake by procrastinating the decision regarding interpretation of Supreme Court of Pakistan's verdict on division of reserved seats among students of inner and outer FATA region. Prof Qasim Masood , Chairman FATA Employees Welfare Society, Islamabad, while presiding over protest meeting of FATA teachers, students, businessmen and civil society activists, told The Frontier Post on Monday that HEC had committed violation of the rules by denying FATA students the right to seek admission in public sector universities under 'Provision of higher education opportunities for students of FATA and Balochistan.


It was said that HEC had withheld the merit list of FATA students because it violated the Supreme Court decision on reserved seats for FATA students. Before preparing the merit policy, they alleged, HEC did take into consideration the court's decision at all and it selected students on quite reverse proportionate of students from inner and outer FATA region. The court, in its decision, had explicitly directed the authorities to allot 10% of the total reserved seats of FATA region to those who in fact had received their education from within the region whereas the remaining 90% seats were to be reserved for students getting education from outside FATA but having domicile of FATA region.


The official concerned in HEC when contacted by FP said that HEC being ignorant of Supreme Court verdict awarded scholarships to FATA students on the bases of an earlier formula containing 10% seats for students seeking education from outside FATA region and remaining 90% for the students who got education from within FATA. The official said since the students falling under outer FATA quota had raised their demand, HEC was left with no other option but to withhold the merit list and to seek opinion of legal advisors on the contention of students from outer region in context of Supreme Court decision.


He said that SC judgment merely referred to students seeking admission in medical colleges whereas the scholarship project worth Rs 981.486m covered all disciplines of studies including engineering as well. Moreover, he said 60% of the project awards were for students from Balochistan and remaining 40% for FATA region students.


When asked how long it would take to seek legal opinion of the advisor and to commence with scholarship awarding to the students, the official said that it might take few more weeks to come up with resolution of the issue. It was also said that the awards had to be finalized during Sept-Oct 2008 to let the students seek admission in relevant universities but the confusion regarding seat allotment had delayed the issue for indefinite period.


Students both from inner and outer FATA region had urged the authorities to take immediate notice of the issue by asking the HEC to resolve the issue at its earliest to save students' time and resources.



Source: http://frontierpost.com.pk/News.aspx?ncat=ts&nid=3659