Education a provincial subject, insists Qaim

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday said that not only 18th Amendment, Federal List No 1 and Concurrent List, had also declared education a provincial subject and the authority, powers and autonomy of universities are under provincial government.
Presiding over a meeting of Vice Chancellors of universities functioning in public sector throughout the province at CM House, Qaim said Constitution is a supreme document with fundamental rights, which can not be over-written except amended by the parliament.
He stressed on VCs to work with full confidence as the matter has been discussed at high level and the federal cabinet has also endorsed and approved education as a provincial subject. The meeting was also briefed that after approval of 18th Amendment, the education is a provincial subject and educational institutions including universities are under the provincial government setup.
The Chief Minister said that universities possess full autonomy under the Constitution. "It was a commitment of the party under the leadership of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto that universities are fully autonomous, and their matters and problems are to be looked after by respective senate and syndicate," he added.
Regarding allocation of funds/budget, he said with regard to all the subjects which are to be devolved, the federal government has consulted provinces on allocation of fund reflected in budget. He made it clear that till the process of devolution is completed, federal government will provide funds up to two years.
"There should be no apprehension about the funds and I as a Chief Minister Sindh take the responsibility that in case the federal government does not provide funds, the provincial government will ensure provision of funds," Qaim said. Sindh government will ensure the funds are provided as soon as possible and Vice Chancellors should work with spirit, zeal and enthusiasm, as the federal government was legally, morally and constitutionally bound to provide funds to universities, he added.
There should be no anxiety from any side, as the federal government has agreed that this year and next year, funding will be provided, he said. All Vice Chancellors expressed confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Sindh and said that they will work hard for the furtherance, expansion, promotion and encouragement of education in their respective universities and educational institutions.
Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq, Sindh Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Secretary Law Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah and Secretary Education Ms Naheed Shah Durrani elaborated the contents of legal provisions, etc, with regard to university affairs after devolution.
Those who attended the meeting included Chief Secretary Sindh Abdul Subhan Memon, Secretary to C.M. Sindh Alamuddin Bullo, Secretary Inter-provincial Co-ordination, V.C. University of Sindh Jamshoro Dr Nazeer Mughal, V.C. Mehran Engineering University Jamshoro Dr Abdul Qadeer Rajput, V.C. LUMHS Jamshoro Professor Noshad Shaikh, V.C. Karachi University Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, V.C. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Lyari Karachi, R.A. Shah and Vice Chancellors of other public sector universities.