PAKISTAN – Engineering Regulation
Clients, contractors, and consultants must be aligned. Innovative solutions are required so that conaultnst and contractors benefit from global boom. I firmly believe that where there is a will, there is a way, says Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council Engr, Waseem Nazir in a special interview with Engineering Review. Here are his views.
One Year Down The Road
Today I have the opportunity to explain whether, during my one year as Chairman PEC, I have delivered justice or not. You are right—this is a golden opportunity to improve this profession as much as possible through proper regulation. I have been saying for a long time that if we do not put the profession on the right path, we will fall behind. As you mentioned, the world is changing, technology is changing, and the difference between three years ago and today is unimaginable. If this pace accelerates further, then to put the profession on the right track we must change mindsets and learn to accept change.
Many engineers believe that if they remain confined to the drawing board, they are true engineers. But if we move with the world, we fear we will be left behind. In reality, we think in reverse. When I took over, my first slogan was “Looking Engineering Forward.” As the world changes, institutions must transform accordingly. This is only possible when your mindset is forward-looking. Complaining is easy—saying things did not happen. I believe that if you want to move ahead with the world, you must actually move ahead.
It Is Time for PEC to Play Its Role
Expectations from PEC are absolutely justified. The real question is how to take it forward so that it meets present and future needs. To do this, a total paradigm shift is required. I have been saying this from the beginning. Now that I have the opportunity, I intend to act more and talk less.
What Is a Paradigm Shift?
A paradigm shift means strengthening our own home—PEC. Our family consists of engineers and stakeholders: consultants, contractors, and operators. This is a complete ecosystem. To run it, we need a forward-thinking, smart, and digital institution—one that understands present needs and anticipates future demands. Its institutional capacity must be strong enough to comprehend these challenges and lead in policy-making.
Therefore, it is essential that PEC becomes a modern, 21st-century institution. This is a fundamental requirement, and I am fully convinced of it. Today, after one year, I can honestly say that I am satisfied that I have initiated a paradigm shift—a very difficult task. Changing an institution’s direction requires commitment, and commitment requires a roadmap whose results appear over time.
I have separated operations from regulation, placed the right person in the right job, and provided a roadmap for digital transformation. I reviewed outdated rules and regulations that were burdening stakeholders. Without AI, we will fall behind. Engineers cannot compete only within Pakistan; they will only excel when they compete globally.
First, realization is necessary—and that is what we often lack. We refuse to accept our mistakes. We say, “We are fine,” or “There is a problem,” but we do not say how to move forward or what prerequisites are required. Most of those prerequisites have now been addressed. When people see these reforms, they will realize they are meant for a 21st-century institution.
Exchange Between PEC and Pakistani Engineering Companies
Exchange always produces positive results. PEC will complete 50 years next year. When I compare PEC with similar organizations worldwide, it stands at a strong position. It started in 1976 from a one-room office and, within 26 years, became the voice of engineers across Pakistan and delivered commendable work—appropriate for the needs of that era.
However, if we do not change ourselves today, we will become irrelevant. If Pakistani engineers fail equivalence tests abroad or contractors cannot work overseas, PEC’s utility will gradually decline. The dilemma is to move forward at the same pace as the world.
PEC is a mentor to institutions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Nigeria, and Kenya. It has strong capacity—but can we keep up and maintain it? In a changing environment, fast-track change is essential.
PEC performs three core functions: registering engineers, registering contractors, and ensuring their professional development. Every institution does this, but the question is whether it is done in an orthodox or a modern way. Modern methods minimize human interference, reducing nepotism and favoritism.
I introduced policies on health and safety, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Institutions that ignore these areas fall behind. We have begun work on ISO 9000 certification this year. Sustainability is challenging but necessary. In today’s world, if we do not introduce e-cards, what will we do? A generation that does not even touch paper wants to see its credentials on a mobile phone.
We have launched e-cards, integrated PEC into NADRA’s portal, and now engineers’ IDs will appear in Pak-ID. CPD, training, and all relevant data will be included—things that never existed before. PEC has begun a new journey.
New Relationship Between PEC and Contractors
The remaining major focus is on contractors, who are our stakeholders. Who will facilitate them to work abroad? Who will support them? Obviously, PEC must step up and be ready. Stakeholders must help us bring change; otherwise, stagnation will harm the profession.
It is painful to see engineers needing recommendations to obtain certificates, while lieutenants and doctors receive theirs immediately. I have now ensured that on the day results are announced, engineers receive their certificates automatically—on their phones and at home. This is now an automated process. In 2026, no graduate will say they had to physically collect a certificate.
How Consultants and Contractors Can Benefit from the Mega Engineering Boom Abroad
Pakistan has a population of 250 million. We produce about 20,000 engineers annually. There are 400,000 registered engineers, 65,000 registered contractors, and about 6,000 major consultants. This landscape demands that we help engineers and contractors work abroad and build teams.
From my analysis, major hurdles for contractors include performance bonds, advance bank guarantees, and insurance bonds, which block initial investment. We are working on these issues and engaging with the government, but innovative solutions are required. I firmly believe that where there is a will, there is a way.
However, industry must first correct itself. How many Pakistani contractors actually meet international requirements? Today, institutional capacity is assessed: organizational structure, ethics policy, health and safety policy, data management. International competition demands compliance. You cannot export poorly polished fruit; similarly, you cannot export underprepared engineers or contractors.
If an engineer completes CPD from home without seriousness, they may cause international bans the very next day. Going abroad requires effort from both sides—the institution and the individual. One hand alone cannot clap.
Do We Need a Different Approach?
We have three stakeholders: clients, contractors, and consultants. All three must be aligned. Clients operate independently and often ignore the concerns of contractors and consultants, who then complain about being sidelined. Without harmony, clients will not realize that development is like a rickshaw with three wheels. The client holds the steering, but all three wheels are essential.
For the past year, I have been working to make clients realize that alignment is necessary for sustainable development.
Many approaches will be introduced; a single solution will not work. We are launching a Project Director Certification program. In development projects, the project director plays the most critical role. If we train 50–100 project directors annually at an international level, Pakistan’s construction industry will transform within 10 years.
This three-month certification, in partnership with the National Defence University (NDU), will produce Chartered Project Directors. Many participants will be from client organizations. When clients, consultants, and contractors train together, the industry landscape will change significantly. Timely, high-quality project completion will build confidence. Engineers’ confidence, self-esteem, and professional standing must rise.
Confidence That Reforms Will Continue
I am 100 percent convinced that the roadmap developed over one year is sustainable and on the right track. Achieving a paradigm shift in one year was an enormous task. Tremendous effort has gone into building a futuristic PEC, involving engineers, contractors, consultants, and universities.
This is not desk work. I have met 500 contractors across seven locations, engaged with 54 universities to address their issues, and met engineers in every city. I have traveled 33,000 kilometers in one year to assess ground realities.
I have introduced deep institutional changes. PEC’s secretariat is stronger today than ever before. Reforms can only be sustained when institutions are strong—otherwise, reforms collapse. – By Manzoor Shaikh
Watch the interview
