Senate committee protests repeated absence of education minister and secretary

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training strongly protested the repeated absence

Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training strongly protested the repeated absence of the Federal Education Minister, State Minister and Secretary from its meetings. Chairperson Senator Bushra Anjum Butt said the ministry was not giving the committee the attention it deserved. The committee met at Parliament House in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, with Senators Syed Masroor Ahsan, Kamran Murtaza and Khalida Ateeb in attendance.

At the start of the meeting, the chairperson formally recorded her protest, stating that the Minister and State Minister were unavailable for committee meetings and that the Secretary also often sent an apology beforehand. She said the committee was responsible for oversight and should not repeatedly deal with the ministry in the absence of its senior officials. She also questioned why the State Minister could not attend when the Federal Minister was busy.

The chairperson said the absence was not a one-time issue. She said the Secretary’s apology arrived only about an hour before the meeting. She also said the Minister was in Karachi while the State Minister was outside the country. She argued that important matters were being brought before the committee and senior ministry officials should make time to attend.

During the discussion, a ministry representative said the Secretary respected the committee and normally treated it as an important forum. He said the Secretary was on leave and had other commitments on the day of the meeting. The chairperson then asked when the meeting notification had reached the ministry. The representative replied that it had been received on time.

The chairperson disputed the timing of the Secretary’s apology and asked the ministry to check the attendance record to see when the Minister and State Minister had last attended her committee meetings. The ministry representative said the Minister was apologising for her absence. The chairperson replied that the committee’s role was oversight, not running the ministry.

The issue came up again later when the committee was discussing matters related to the Federal Urdu University. The chairperson expressed frustration that she had to speak to a ministry representative because the Secretary was not present. She told the representative that senior officials should also find time for the committee’s meetings.

The committee’s proceedings therefore placed the attendance of senior officials from the Federal Education Ministry under direct discussion, with the chairperson seeking more regular participation from the Minister, State Minister and Secretary in future meetings.