Educational institutions: NA body concerned at use of narcotics

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training has expressed serious concern over the growing use of narcotics in educational institutions and said that ensuring a safe and drug-free learning environment is a shared responsibility of educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and regulatory authorities.

The Committee emphasized that educational institutions must adopt proactive measures, strengthen internal monitoring mechanisms, and take institutional responsibility to prevent the supply and use of narcotic substances on campuses.

The 25th Meeting of the Federal Education Committee was held under the Chairmanship of Mahtab Akbar Rashdi here on Monday.

The Committee observed that imposing disciplinary penalties on students alone was insufficient to address the root causes of the problem.

It underscored the need for coordinated and intelligence-based operations by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), police, and educational institutions to identify, dismantle, and prosecute the criminal networks involved in the trafficking and distribution of narcotic substances among students.

The Committee further emphasized that preventive awareness initiatives, effective surveillance, and law enforcement measures must complement institutional disciplinary actions to eliminate the menace of drugs from educational institutions.

The Committee was informed by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) that approximately 4,000-square-foot of land had been retrieved from the Haza Institute out of the total 20,000-square-foot previously allocated.

It was further stated that the institute was primarily intended to provide market-oriented vocational training to Pakistani youth to equip them with the skills required for employment opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Committee was also informed that NAVTTC was currently reviewing the terms and conditions of the existing agreement with the institute.

In this regard, discussions were underway to revise the agreement to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and alignment with the objectives of the training programme and the public interest.

The Committee was informed that the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) had launched a door-to-door enrolment campaign across 36 Union Councils of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to identify out-of-school children and facilitate their enrolment in non-formal education centres.

The Committee was told that approximately 26,000 out-of-school children had been identified, of whom around 18,000 had already been enrolled in non-formal education.

The Committee was further informed that three tent schools had been established in Jogia, near Faizabad, to provide educational opportunities for children residing in the settlement.

It was also highlighted that children who completed the non-formal education programme and obtained the prescribed certification became eligible for admission to formal education system.

While appreciating the initiative, the Committee expressed its concern over the absence of a clear exit strategy to ensure the seamless transition of children from non-formal education to mainstream schools.

The Committee emphasized the need for a comprehensive monitoring and follow-up mechanism to track the educational progress of those children and ensure their continued retention in the formal education system.

The NCHD did not have any daily wage workers engaged in the programme, who were serving voluntarily and received stipends, rather than daily wages, in accordance with the remuneration framework approved by the Finance Division, which was Rs15,000.

To enable a comprehensive review of the programme, the Committee decided that the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) be invited to the next meeting to provide its professional input on the programme’s design, implementation, accreditation, and alignment with the national nursing standards.

The Committee was informed that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had constituted a new committee to examine the findings and recommendations of the previous inquiry committee and to further deliberate on the longstanding administrative, governance, and institutional issues confronting the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026