ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions Chairman Senator Hilalur Rehman has expressed resentment regarding noncompliance of the federal cabinet decision that quota of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
students in education and health institutes in other provinces should be doubled and retained for 10 years after integration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Hilalur Rehman, in a letter addressed to Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman stated, “It was brought to my notice that most of the colleges and universities including Government College Faisalabad, University of Gujrat, University of Sargodha, N
ational College of Arts Lahore… are not complying with the decision of the federal cabinet.”
However, according to the 2017 Prospectus of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, “As pe
r decision of the federal cabinet made in its meeting, the r
eserved quota for FATA candidates was enhanced as double from the academic year 2017-2018.”
Earlier on April 5 this year, the HEC conveyed the decision of the federal cabinet to all private/public sector universities, medical/ engineering colleges and degree awarding institutions for implementation.
Accordingly, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) nominated
students to various educ
ational institutions as pe
r decision of the cabinet.
Rehman in his letter stated a huge number of
students belonging to FATA were approaching him, requesting for their admissions against FATA r
eserved seats.
“I’m contacting the quarter concerned but due to limited seats a large number of applications are being rejected,” the letter referring to
students who were seeking admission to country’s leading universities stated.
The letter further stated that point 12 of the N
ational Action Plan (NAP) was administrative and development reforms in FATA with immediate focus on repatriation of internally displaced persons (IDPs); and in these circumstances, the federal cabinet decided to double the quota for
students of FATA in the educ
ational institutes throughout the country.
It stated that now that the IDPs’ return to their homes was nearing completion, the senator feared a drift to illiteracy and dropouts from educ
ational institutes of the
students going back to FATA, owing to largely destroyed educ
ational infrastructure.
Rehman stated that if
students from FATA were not provided educ
ational facilities in other parts of the country according to the decision of the federal cabinet as an emergency measure, the young and promising
students may fall prey to extremism, illiteracy and subsequent unemployment.
“The decision of the federal cabinet regarding increase of FATA r
eserved seats in the educ
ational institutions shall be implemented in letter an
d spirit so that maximum number of
students from FATA can get admission,” it stated.
Earlier in April this year, the HEC, in its letter addressed to all vice chancellors following a reference letter from SAFRON decided that “quota of FATA
students in education and health institutions in other provinces should be double and retained for 10-year after integration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
Published in Daily Times, November 22nd 2017.