PIFD meeting declared null and void for ‘malafide intent’, rule violations and lack of presidential approval
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 in Islamabad on February 11. Photo: Senate
The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Wednesday ordered investigations into alleged financial irregularities in the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and announced strict measures to address the issue of fake degrees, while also declaring a controversial meeting held at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) null and void.
The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, who directed the establishment of a permanent help desk at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to verify academic degrees. She said exact data would be compiled on unverified institutions and fake degrees, stressing that students should not suffer due to institutional negligence. The HEC secretary assured the committee that the help desk would be set up immediately.
The committee then took up an agenda forwarded by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan regarding the functioning, transparency and financial management of NAVTTC over the past five years. NAVTTC officials informed the committee that 71,000 students were trained in 2025, including 6,200 from Balochistan and 43,000 from Punjab, and that no fixed quota existed for South Punjab.
Officials stated that NAVTTC’s annual budget stands at Rs7 billion, with per-student expenditure ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs140,000, and that funds are disbursed directly to institutions through joint accounts. However, a student representative from South Punjab contradicted this claim, alleging that only Rs1,500 per student was provided for training.
After hearing both sides, the committee constituted a subcommittee headed by Senator Kamran Murtaza to investigate alleged embezzlement under NAVTTC programmes, identify institutions involved and fix responsibility.
Separately, the committee declared a meeting held at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) null and void, ruling that it was conducted with ‘malafide intent’, in violation of prescribed rules and without the approval of the Presidency. The decision was taken during a briefing by the Higher Education Commission regarding the controversial PIFD meeting.
The PIFD matter had surfaced last week when Senator Butt, during a standing committee session, questioned the tenure of the institute’s vice chancellor and the release of more than Rs2 billion in institutional funds. She also criticised the federal education minister for repeatedly missing committee meetings and disregarding its directives.
According to her, the committee had ruled that the vice chancellor’s tenure ended in December and that she should step aside, with any inquiry conducted in a transparent manner. Despite this, she alleged that the minister not only appointed Tayyaba as interim vice chancellor but also elevated her to the position of professor.
Senator Butt took strong exception to the vice chancellor’s continued role, noting that an inquiry was already underway against her for allegedly operating above institutional rules and remaining in office for over 25 years. She questioned how the position was being treated as an inherited right, including reported attempts to facilitate the appointment of the vice chancellor’s sister to the post.
The committee declared the vice chancellor retired and maintained that no post or authority should have been granted to her until the inquiry was concluded. It also objected to her absence from previous meetings and referred the matter to the Privilege Committee for an explanation. “A vice chancellor who goes above the rules is not bigger than the system,” she said.
Further concerns were raised over the opening of a hostel just six months before the vice chancellor’s retirement. The matter was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance to determine whether the action exceeded lawful authority.
Butt emphasised that the committee’s actions were not directed against individuals but aimed at ending the practice of running public institutions as private enterprises. She said the committee’s mandate extended beyond agenda discussions to ensuring follow-up, implementation, transparency and accountability across higher education institutions.
