Senate Committee expresses anger over Education Minister’s absence from meeting

A Senate committee on rules and regulations has expressed displeasure over the absence of the federal education minister and education secretary from its meeting, questioning why the officials failed to attend the session.

A Senate committee on rules and regulations has expressed displeasure over the absence of the federal education minister and education secretary from its meeting questioning why the officials failed to attend the session.

The committee also decided to form a subcommittee to examine matters concerning the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD).

The meeting was chaired by Senator Waqar Mehdi during which members reviewed several privilege motions and discussed issues requiring further attention.

During the session Senator Waqar Mehdi expressed concern over the education minister’s failure to attend the meeting. He said the relevant authorities should have informed the committee in writing about the reasons for their absence.

The committee’s reaction highlighted its concerns regarding the non-attendance of senior education officials at an important parliamentary proceeding.

Members also decided to establish a subcommittee to look into the matter involving the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design. The move is intended to allow further consideration of the issue.

However, the report did not provide additional details about the specific concerns surrounding the institute or the timeline for the subcommittee’s work.

The meeting also took up a privilege motion submitted by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Palwasha Khan concerning Dr Sharjeel of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The issue followed a video shared by Senator Palwasha Khan on social media in which she highlighted the poor conditions at PIMS.

Following the discussion committee chairman Waqar Mehdi directed the relevant authorities to conduct a surprise visit to the hospital to assess the situation further.

The proposed visit is intended to help officials examine the hospital’s conditions directly and gain a clearer understanding of the concerns raised.

The committee’s discussions covered both the absence of senior education officials and concerns about conditions at a major public-sector hospital.

While the committee expressed displeasure over the education minister and secretary’s absence it also called for a closer examination of the issues raised in the PIMS-related privilege motion.

The decisions taken during the meeting indicate that the committee intends to seek further information on the matters discussed including the PIFD issue and the situation at PIMS.