Staff Reporter
Pakistan Council for Science & Technology (PCST) with a mandate to advise government on promotion of science and technology and supposed to meet at least twice annually held its last session in 2017.
This was told during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Science & Technology (S&T) on Thursday held at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS). The committee in detail discussed the role and responsibilities of Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) and the number of sanctioned posts and sought reasons for delay in appointment of its head.
The committee also reviewed attached departments under the Ministry of Science and Technology without operating heads and reasons for delay in appointments and the issues pertaining to initiation of Dual Degree Programme under a joint venture with University of Lancaster and enrolment of 2,532 students without prior approval of HEC.
Chaired by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, the meeting was attended by Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Senator Hidayat Ullah, Senator Muhammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo and senior officers from the Ministry of Science and Technology, NUST, NIE, PCRET, PCST, PCRWR, PSQCA, PNAC, PCSIR, CUI along with all concerned.
The meeting commenced with a detailed review of role and responsibilities of PCST.
The committee observed that positions for 13 technical officers remained vacant in the organization and presently only six officers were working in PCST. According to rules, it must run two sessions annually but its last session held in 2017.
The committee took strong notice of the issue and said that a proposal must go from the forum of the committee, that an acting head of the Organization must be appointed so that PCST sessions, crucial to the promotion of Science and Technology in the country may be held on time. It was asserted that it must be determined that officers recruited by the Ministry must have technical knowhow. Salary structure must be revamped.
