GB dissolves all committees;Punjab Building Committee survives!

‘Of 800 members of 74 committees, 85 percent were outsiders’

The governing body (GB) of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has dissolved all subcommittees but one, formed allegedly in violation of the PEC Act and bylaws. The only committee which remains is Punjab Building Committee.

These committees were shaped by chairman PEC, Jawed Saleem Qureshi without due approval of the governing body, a number of the members of the body told Engineering Review.

The alleged unlawful formation of the committees had created deepening unease in numerous senior members of the council as they believed neither the PEC Act had been followed nor the governing body been taken into confidence.

The council is provided by the article 35 of the PEC Act to form one or more committees for carrying out special business. A senior engineer said although there was no specific number of committees mentioned in the PEC Act, it did not mean the law permitted formation of unlimited or a huge number of committees.

To the surprise of many, the number of subcommittees formed to proceed with special business of the council rose to the all-time high as 74—all formed without ratification of the governing body which solely holds, as per law, the mandate of formation, deletion, extension and abridgement of Committees.

Not only that but also the membership on such committees was so high in number that many engineers alleged it was a loss to public exchequer. An engineer claims the total number of the members of all committees was around 800. More ironical was the fact that, from this lot a high number of engineers on committees, only 15 percent were those who belonged to the governing body. The rest of the members making 85 percent of the total strength were outsiders who allegedly had been closer to the leadership.

Yet another senior engineer requesting anonymity also confirmed such a grave situation in the council. He however differed the ratio on the committees saying GB-related members and outsiders on the council might be 35:65.

Deterioration in the PEC is not a new phenomenon as the management committee—a body of senior engineers who are responsible to oversee the working of the secretariat so that the affairs of the council run as per law—allegedly kept mum and avoided bringing the issues to the notice of the governing body and thus failed to stop unlawful use of authority.

The Committees were formed illegally and the secretariat continued with such proceedings of formations, dissolutions, deletions and extensions of the committees without any lawful authority and the management committee failed to oblige its legitimate role to stop these illegalities at the first step, alleged a senior engineer.

The council is now replete with a question as to who is responsible for such a glaring violation of law which has put burden on council’s resources as well as on national exchequer.

The situation, yet another engineer told ER, has turned so messy that the management committee has not met for over 2 months. Many engineers ask about achievements of the council which is supposed to play a crucial role for development of engineers and engineering in the country. The transparency in appointments of 41 sub-registrars is being questioned amidst whispering as regards groupings on political basis in the council.