Meeting of the Standing Committee, Senate of Pakistan, for education, training and standard in higher education was held under the chairmanship of Senator, Abdul Nabi Bangash at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan.

Minister for State, Interior and Higher Education, Mr. Baligh-ur-Rehman, members of the committee, Begum Najma Hameed, Mr. Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, Engr. Malik Rasheed Khan, Haji Khan Afridi, Mr. Rozi Khan Kakar, Heman Das, Federal Secretary of Education, Mr. Raja Ahsan Iqbal, Chairman Higher Education Commission, Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor AWKUM, Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali, Vice chancellors of University of Malakand, Swat, Sheringil, Hazara, Charsadda and Haripur attended the meeting along with other high officials.

In the meeting, the problems of the universities regarding higher education were discussed. In the meeting, problems of students belonging to FATA, studying in various universities were discussed.

The meeting was briefed that the educational expenditures of the FATA students are born by HEC. The committee also suggessted the increase in the seats for FATA students in government universities. The meeting expressed reservations over the delay in the establishment of FATA university and constituted a sub committee in this regard, comprising of Senator, Malik Rasheed Ahmad, Senator, Rozy Khan Kakar and Haji Khan Afridi. The sub committee will consult with the relevant institutions in this regard.

Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali briefed the meeting about the developmental projects especially the under construction Garden Campus. Members of the committee applauded the quality of higher education of AWKUM and marked it as a significant inclusion in the list of world class universities. The committee requested HEC to resolve all the financial problems of AWKUM and other government universities.

While addressing the meeting, Mr. Baligh-ur-Rehman said that promotion of higher education is the priority of the current government and this year the entire budget for HEC has been released in time.

Chairman of the committee, Senator, Abdul Ghani Bangash said that lack of education is the cause of terrorism and instability. He further said that the government needs to focus on the development of khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA and should produce various sources of eduction and employment for the youth of this region.

The members of the committee, later on, visited the under construction Garden Campus and inspected the on going developmental works.