PIFD meeting declared void due to ‘bad faith intent’, rule violations and lack of presidential approval
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Vocational Training, chairs a meeting of the Committee at the Ministry of Federal Education and Vocational Training in Islamabad on February 11. Photo: Senate
The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Vocational Training on Wednesday ordered investigations into alleged financial irregularities at the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and announced strict measures to address the issue of fake degrees, while 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 led the establishment of a permanent help desk at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to verify academic degrees. He said accurate data on unverified institutions and fake degrees would be compiled, and emphasized that students should not suffer due to institutional negligence. The HEC secretary assured the committee that the helpdesk would be established immediately.
The committee then took up an agenda sent by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan on the functioning, transparency and financial management of NAVTTC for the last five years. NAVTTC officials informed the committee that 71,000 students, including 6,200 from Balochistan and 43,000 from Punjab, were trained in 2025 and there was no fixed quota for south Punjab.
Officials stated that NAVTTC’s annual budget amounts to Rs 7 billion, with expenditure per student ranging between Rs 80,000 and Rs 140,000, and that funds are disbursed directly to the institutions through joint accounts. However, a student representative from southern Punjab contradicted this claim, alleging that only Rs 1,500 per student was provided for training.
After hearing both sides, the committee constituted a sub-committee headed by Senator Kamran Murtaza to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds under NAVTTC programmes, identify the institutions involved and determine responsibilities.
Separately, the committee declared a meeting held at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) null and void, ruling that it was held with “mala fide intent”, in violation of the prescribed rules and without the approval of the Presidency. The decision was made during a Higher Education Commission briefing on the controversial PIFD meeting.
The PIFD issue came to light last week when Senator Butt, during a standing committee session, questioned the tenure of the institute’s vice-chancellor and the release of over Rs 2 billion in institutional funds. He also criticized the federal education minister for repeatedly missing committee meetings and ignoring its directives.
According to her, the committee had ruled that the vice-chancellor’s term would end in December and that she should resign and that any investigation would be carried out in a transparent manner. Despite this, he alleged that the minister not only appointed Tayyaba as acting vice-chancellor but also elevated her to the position of professor.
Senator Butt strongly opposed the vice-chancellor’s continued role, noting that an investigation was already underway against her for allegedly operating above institutional rules and remaining in office for more than 25 years. He 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 position.
The committee declared the vice-chancellor retired and maintained that she should not have been given any position or authority until the investigation was concluded. He also objected to his absence from previous meetings and referred the matter to the Privileges Committee for explanations. “A vice chancellor who goes beyond the rules is not bigger than the system,” he said.
More concerns were raised about 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 legal authority.
Butt emphasized that the committee’s actions were not directed against individuals but sought to end the practice of running public institutions like private companies. He said the committee’s mandate extended beyond agenda discussions to ensure monitoring, implementation, transparency and accountability across higher education institutions.
