PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN: Petition filed against plan to dissolve HEC

A petition has been filed in the supreme court against the government's plan to dissolve the Higher Education Commission, or HEC, which is widely credited with playing a key role in promoting higher learning in Pakistan, writes Mohsin Ali for Gulf News.

The University of Lahore and Rafa University moved the petition through their lawyer, citing the federal government and the ministry of law as respondents.

Vice-chancellors of public sector universities, professors and teachers as well as political parties have vehemently criticised the move to disband the HEC, which was established in 2002. They claim the move would deal a severe blow to higher education in the country and put at risk thousands of Pakistani PhD students currently studying abroad on scholarships.
Full report on the Gulf News site