Senate panel declares PIFD meeting null and void for malafide intent, rule violations

• Matter referred to privilege and Senate finance committees for scrutiny.
• Provincial university visits and town halls announced to ensure compliance.
• Fake degree concerns addressed; permanent verification desk at HEC soon.

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has declared the recent Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) meeting null and void, calling it conducted with malicious intent, against prescribed rules, and without the President’s approval.

The committee, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, took serious notice of the matter. 

“The vice chancellor who is going above the rules is not bigger than the system,” Senator Butt said, questioning the continued functioning of a vice chancellor under inquiry for alleged rule violations. 

She also raised concerns over reports of the vice chancellor attempting to treat her position as an inherited right and facilitating her sister’s appointment. 

The committee has declared her retired and referred her absence from prior meetings to the Privilege Committee.

Senator Butt further questioned the opening of a hostel with only six months remaining in the vice chancellor’s tenure and referred the case to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance to examine whether the action exceeded lawful authority.

“These actions are not against any one particular person but against the norms of owning public institutions as private business,” she said, emphasising that the committee’s stance would set an example for future vice chancellors. 

She announced provincial visits to universities to ensure institutions comply with rules and confirmed that town halls will be held to gain a broader understanding beyond the Chancellors’ reports.

Addressing fake degree concerns, she said, “Students will not pay for our negligence. We will collect exact data on unverified institutions and ensure students get their due rights.” 

A permanent help desk at the Higher Education Commission will be established immediately.

The committee also reviewed the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), learning that 71,000 students were trained in 2025 with an annual budget of Rs7 billion. 

Discrepancies raised by a student from South Punjab regarding training allocations prompted the chair to form a sub-committee, led by Senator Kamran Murtaza, to investigate potential embezzlement and hold responsible parties accountable.