Karachi March 9 (TNS): Amidst strong protest and a walkout by opposition members, the Sindh Assembly on Friday approved the Sindh Universities & Institutes Laws (Amendment) Bill 2018, depriving the provincial governor of the powers to look into the affairs of universities and other institutes of higher education.
The opposition members including those belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan alleged that the passage of the bill was another attempt by the Pakistan People’s Party to deprive the universities of the autonomy they were enjoying in their administrative affairs.
The new law empowers the chief minister to look into the administrative affairs of the universities and institutes of degree-awarding educational institutes across the province.
After the passage of the bill, the chief minister of the province will now be the chancellor of the universities and degree-awarding institutes.
Earlier, when Nisar Khuhro, the minister of parliamentary affairs, moved the bill, the opposition members staged a strong protest and tore the copies of the bill, forcing the chair to postpone for further consultation.
Talking to the media, MQM’s Azharul Hassan, Faisal Sabzwari and Sardar Ahmed alleged that the PPP provincial government was bent on destroying the universities by snatching their autonomy.
