HEC fails to hold a single meeting in 14 months

ISLAMABAD: Despite getting a hefty allocation of Rs63 billion in the budget 2014-15, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has almost become dysfunctional in the absence of six members and a permanent principal accounting officer.

According to sources, the commission has failed to meet even once during last 14 months, which is a grave violation of the HEC Act 2002. The Act requires at least two meetings of the commission within one financial year.

The documents available with The News also confirmed that after remaining without a permanent chairman for 8 months, now the commission is functioning without its permanent executive director since April 15, 2014, the day when current chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad was appointed.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmad was previously serving as executive director of the commission. However after his elevation as chairman, the post became vacant and a member of the commission Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi had been holding the acting charge of the position.

According a notification no 5-496/HEC/HRM/2014/6854 issued on June 24, 2014, Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi has been given another month extension on temporary charge, which means the post will remain vacant for at least three months.

Section 11 (B) of the HEC Act clearly states “the secretariat, headed by an executive director, shall act as the executing wing of the commission and shall be responsible for implementation of all the orders, decisions, directives and policy of the Commission”.

He is also principal accounting officer. Since there is no full-time ED, most of the HEC’s functions have stopped and there will be a serious doubt on the decisions made by the acting ED.

Moreover, the vice chancellors of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and rector of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) could also not be appointed by the commission for the last six months. An advertisement was published in the national dailies on December 15, 2013 for appointments on these posts but no further progress could be made on the issue despite formulation of a search committee by the HEC.

Sources said the commission is itself functioning without its six (out of total 17) members for the last one year.When contacted by The News, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said the commission could not meet to appoint the permanent HEC executive director owing to lack of quorum.

“We need at least nine members to complete the quorum for the commission’s meeting but owing to budget and other engagements some members of the commission were not available,” he said adding that two members of the commission are federal secretaries.

On the issue of non-appointment of VCs and rector of three top universities, he said there were some technical problems which have now been sorted out and a new search committee headed by minister for education and training Balighur Rehman will select the head of these institutions soon.

He said the appointment of six members of commission would also be made as soon as the commission met for the first time under his chairmanship.According to HEC Act 2002, the commission is an autonomous body, which deliberates on issues pertaining to evaluation, improvement and promotion of higher education, research and development and also formulates policies, guiding principles and priorities for higher education institutions.

As per the minutes of the 28th meeting of commission held on April 9, 2013, the commission nominated 29 scholars of eminence for the appointment of its remaining members but no progress could be made on the issue ever since.

England hold firm after Bell loss

LONDON: England kept Sri Lanka at bay after losing dangerman Ian Bell in the first Test at Lord´s on Thursday.

England, after losing the toss, were 195 for four at tea on the first day with Bell having fallen early in the second session for 56. But Joe Root and debutant Mooen Ali, both 43 not out, repelled Sri Lanka with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand so far worth 75.

England had struggled to 98 for three at lunch after debutant opener Sam Robson, captain Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance had all fallen cheaply in the morning session.

But Bell, in his 99th Test, was unbeaten on 41 and looking in excellent touch. Shortly after lunch, he drove left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for six to complete a 69-ball fifty also including seven fours. But he was out soon afterwards when, hitting across the line, he was lbw to seamer Shaminda Eranga although Sri Lanka had to challenge Australian umpire Paul Reiffel´s original not out decision before Bell was finally on his way.

Ali, one of three debutants in the England side, began cautiously but the left-hander found his form in slog-sweeping Herath for six.

Earlier, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to field in the first of this two-match series against an England side playing their first Test since suffering a 281-run defeat by Australia in Sydney that condemned them to a 5-0 Ashes loss in January.

Although the sunny blue skies above Lord´s suggested ideal batting conditions, the pitch was a greener-looking one than usually associated with the ´home of cricket´ at this time of year. Mathews´s decision yielded a quick reward as England lost both their openers inside the first half hour.

Australia-born Robson, playing on his Middlesex home ground, fell for one when he was drawn forward by a full-length Nuwan Pradeep delivery that took the outside edge and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, diving to his right, held a fine catch. And 14 for one became 22 for two when Cook exited for 17, the left-hander bottom-edging an intended cut off Nuwan Kulasekara into his stumps.

Ballance, promoted to number three in only his second Test, was on one as Bell, taking over the number four slot from the exiled Kevin Pietersen, walked in.

Bell demonstrated his class by easing first-change Eranga through the covers for four with a textbook drive.And the Warwickshire batsman also dealt well with Mathews, Sri Lanka´s fourth seamer, by cover-driving and straight driving the all-rounder for elegant boundaries.

Ballance looked less assured but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander brought up a fifty stand with Bell when he clipped Pradeep off his pads for four.

However, Ballance´s 73-minute innings ended when, to Pradeep´s fifth ball back, he drove flat-footedly and was caught behind for 23 to leave England 74 for three. (AFP)

PEMRA private members hold another meeting on Geo’s issue

ISLAMABAD: Some of the private members of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Wednesday called another meeting and formed a three-member committee with a task to implement the decisions they had taken in the previous meeting.

They have also decided to convene their next meeting on June 17.

In the opinion of the majority of PEMRA members only the chairman of the authority is competent to convene a meeting.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PEMRA spokesman, after the first meeting of the private members a few days ago, had termed it illegal and disowned its decisions.

 

The Hindu File photo shows Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin with Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. Photo: V. Sudershan

India and China will hold the sixth round of their strategic dialogue in Beijing next week, discussing bilateral ties as well as expanding cooperation on common regional challenges such as the situation in Afghanistan.

With the strategic talks taking place amid the on-going Lok Sabha elections, expectations here are that the discussions will likely be routine and focus more on regional and international issues. Beijing, analysts said, is likely to adopt a cautious, wait-and-watch approach before pushing any new major diplomatic initiatives with India until the new government takes charge in New Delhi next month following the elections.

Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh will hold talks with Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin here on Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Ms. Singh is also expected to call on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“The two sides will have in-depth exchanges on bilateral relations, high-level exchanges, practical cooperation, and on international and regional issues of mutual concern,” spokesperson Hong Lei told reporters at a regular briefing.

“This dialogue is an important activity under the China-India friendly exchanges year. We believe it will enhance our strategic communication... and provide a strong boost... to our two countries.”

Mr. Hong said on Tuesday that China’s position on territorial disputes with India “was clear,” when asked about Wednesday’s Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh, on which China has made territorial claims. China has in the past issued stapled visas to students and athletes from the State to underline its position that the territory was disputed.

China to toughen environment law, hold polluters accountable

The revised law would hold "polluters accountable for the damage they cause. (AP Photo)

China will toughen its environmental protection laws to target polluters, according to a high-level policy report released on Sunday, paving the way for possibly unlimited penalties for polluting and the suspension or shutdown of polluters.
The revised law would hold “polluters accountable for the damage they cause and having them compensate for it”, said the report, delivered by Zhang Dejiang, who sits on the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee as one of the country’s most powerful politicians.
Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution” in a report during the country’s annual parliamentary session on Wednesday, but critics say the statement amounts to mere rhetoric without legal reforms to back it up.
The environment has emerged as one of Beijing’s key priorities amid growing public disquiet about urban smog, dwindling and polluted water supplies and the widespread industrial contamination of farmland.
Sources with ties to the leadership said in February that amendments to China’s 1989 environmental law would expand the environment ministry’s powers significantly and allow regulators to suspend and shut down repeat offenders.
Sunday’s policy report did not give specific details on how enforcement would be toughened. China’s environment ministry has historically been unable to enforce anti-pollution laws effectively.
Almost all Chinese cities monitored for pollution last year failed to meet state standards.
China tested a domestically-produced drone aircraft that disperses smog by releasing a chemical catalyst, state media reported on Sunday.

Iran, Japan hold ’fruitful’ talks on frozen assets: Zarif

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday he had held "constructive and fruitful" talks in Japan on repatriating some of Tehran's assets frozen under international sanctions.
Iran and world powers reached a deal in November under which Tehran agreed to temporarily curb parts of its controversial nuclear programme in exchange for limited relief from international sanctions, which included effectively shutting Iran out of the international banking system.
Iran has had said it wants to use Japanese, South Korean and Swiss banks to handle international trade exempted from Western sanctions under the November deal.
Zarif, who met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida Wednesday, said "we reached practical and executive agreement in different areas including the implementation of the financial parts of the Geneva deal, whose results will become clear in banking transactions very soon."
The official IRNA news agency said Zarif, who posted his remarks on Facebook, also asked Japan to play a "more active role" in freeing up Iranian petrodollars, of which a "large part is in Japan."
Japan has traditionally been a major importer of Iranian oil.
The same mechanism would be used for revenues from the slightly more than one million barrels per day in oil exports Iran is allowed to make under the agreement, expected to generate some $15 billion (10.9 billion euros).
And it would handle Iran's petrochemical exports, fully exempted from sanctions, which previously ran at just over $8 billion a year.
In addition, it would be used to manage some $4.2 billion in frozen assets that the European Union and the United States are to release in stages during the next six months.
The United States, other Western powers and Israel have long suspected Iran of using its civil nuclear energy programme as a cover for developing atomic weapons, a charge denied by Tehran.
In return for eased sanctions, Iran undertook to limit enrichment of uranium to five percent purity, halting enrichment to the higher levels that had prompted Western concern on whether its intentions were entirely peaceful.
It also undertook to neutralise existing stockpiles of higher-enriched uranium and to suspend work on a heavy water reactor it had been building.
Talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive and permanent deal are to begin in New York next month.