Senate panel probes NAVTTC funds, orders degree verification desk, nullifies PIFD meeting

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Wednesday ordered investigations into alleged financial irregularities at the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and directed the Higher Education Commission to establish a permanent help desk for academic degree verification.

The committee, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, constituted a subcommittee led by Senator Kamran Murtaza to probe alleged embezzlement under NAVTTC programmes, identify institutions involved and fix responsibility.

During deliberations on a motion moved by Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan on NAVTTC’s governance and financial management over the past five years, officials said 71,000 students were trained in 2025, including 6,200 from Balochistan and 43,000 from Punjab, with no fixed quota for South Punjab. They said NAVTTC operates with an annual budget of Rs7 billion and spends between Rs80,000 and Rs140,000 per student, with funds disbursed directly to training institutions through joint accounts.

A student representative from South Punjab disputed these figures, alleging only Rs1,500 per student was provided for training, prompting senators to seek a formal investigation.

Separately, the committee directed HEC to set up a permanent degree verification help desk and compile data on unverified institutions and fake degrees, with the HEC secretary assuring immediate implementation. Butt said students should not suffer due to institutional negligence.

The committee also declared a recent meeting held at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design null and void, ruling that it was conducted with malafide intent, in violation of prescribed procedures and without presidential approval.

The PIFD matter was discussed following an HEC briefing on the controversial meeting. Butt reiterated that the committee had earlier ruled the institute’s vice chancellor’s tenure ended in December and said she should have stepped aside pending a transparent inquiry. She alleged that despite this, the federal education minister appointed Tayyaba as interim vice chancellor and later promoted her to professor.

The committee declared the vice chancellor retired, said no authority should have been granted to her until the inquiry concluded, and referred her absence from earlier sessions to the Privilege Committee for explanation.

Further concerns were raised over the opening of a hostel six months before her retirement, with the matter referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance to determine whether the move exceeded lawful authority.

Butt said the committee’s actions were aimed at strengthening oversight, transparency and accountability in public higher education institutions and curbing the practice of treating them as private enterprises.