2 min read
The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances convened to review the delayed progress on the establishment of a COMSATS University campus in Quetta, highlighting serious concerns over the setbacks in higher education development in Balochistan. The project, originally approved in 2016, has faced repeated delays due to funding shortfalls.
Chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, the session was attended by Senators Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, Husna Bano, Muhammad Aslam Abro, Nasir Mehmood, and Faisal Javed. The committee members underlined that such prolonged delays risk depriving students of much-needed educational opportunities in the province and urged the government to ensure immediate allocation of the required funds so the project can move toward timely completion.
Lawmakers highlighted the prolonged ad-hoc administrative arrangements and emphasized the urgent need to appoint permanent officials to statutory positions. These include key roles such as Rector, Pro-Rectors, Campus Directors, Registrar, Treasurer, and Controller of Examinations.
The Committee further urged the replacement of the existing OG/SG system with the national Basic Pay Scale (BPS). This change would align faculty and staff compensation with national standards, ensuring fairness and competitiveness. Transparency in the management of statutory funds, already highlighted by the AGP Audit Report 2017–18, was also stressed as a top priority.
During the session, university officials informed the Committee that the University Senate has already formed a three-member Sub-Committee tasked with examining these governance and financial management issues and putting forward practical recommendations. It was also conveyed that periodic audits of COMSATS University have been conducted in recent years.
Concluding the meeting, the Chairman directed COMSATS officials to provide point-wise responses on all highlighted matters in the next session, ensuring that the Committee can carry forward its oversight role effectively.
