Need for Reforms in Pakistan Engineering Council

There has been significant criticism and reservations from engineers regarding the role of PEC in addressing professional engineers’ issues in the past. However, the outgoing council, particularly Chairman Mr. Najeeb Haroon, has made notable contributions, including important steps to provide job opportunities for fresh engineering graduates through stipends and other initiatives. Additionally, efforts have been made to minimize corruption by introducing digital technology into daily operations. Nevertheless, there remains room for improvement.
Here are my suggestions for the new team to enhance the functioning of PEC through changes in the bylaws:
Representation of Young Engineers: Engineers aged up to 35 years should be given representation. This will foster a liaison between young and senior professional engineers, thereby increasing the participation and involvement of younger engineers.
Term Limits for Office Bearers: The terms for office bearers and Governing Body (GB) members should be limited to a maximum of two terms. The chairman and vice chairman should also be restricted to two terms; after this, they should be barred from participating in any forums or committees of PEC. This change will improve the functioning of regulatory bodies, reduce poor governance and corruption, and introduce new perspectives into PEC.
Representation from Academia: Academic representation should be limited to 25%. This will ensure a balanced perspective and prevent academic interests from dominating the council’s decisions.
Exclusion of Government Servants: Government servants should not be allowed to become office bearers. This will help maintain the impartiality of the regulatory body, ensure merit-based decisions, and discourage institutional influence. Government servants should focus on their primary duties as public servants.