What 27th AGM of
PEC achieved in Peshawar

The 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) turned memorable for all shades of the engineering community in the country. The incumbent leadership led by Engr. Najeeb Haroon that traveled to Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa’s capital of Peshawar returned home with a feeling that they achieved what they had targeted. Of course, the moot is a mandatory requirement to get a nod on the council’s annual spending besides a variety of approvals.
Also, those who had issues with the conduct and performance of the council appeared jubilant believing they presented their case before the moot which though was not very big in numbers but still enough to create a conducive platform for their respective objectives.
The major ripple was created by young engineers who have been critical of the performance of the council and believe they are not represented in the prime body of the organization—Governing Body.
The best part of the moot was that the leadership as a whole and especially the chairman seemed set in mind to listen to everyone which turned the moot into a house where the argument received due attention.
Young engineers who had already made preparations to fight their case by moving a motion signed by over a hundred signatories who were also emboldened by their seniors presented their case before the meeting. They demanded that the age limit for contesting the elections for the governing body be relaxed and brought down to just five years.
But they were not alone in demanding to make their way to the governing body, there were two other groups also who did demand relaxation but for those having work experience of 10 and 15 years. They had also moved the motions with the moot. At present, engineers having at least 20-year experience can contest the elections for the governing body of the council.
The movement of multiple motions relating to the relaxation for contesting council’s elections kicked off a debate wherein both sides put their arguments that came to an end after the young engineers were assured of the movement of an amendment to the PEC Act with the parliament which is empowered to amend whatever criterion is set in this respect.
The moot did not stop on addressing issues relating to the representation of the various age groups of engineers in the governing body of the council, matters relating to increasing expenditures of the council, and representation of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) supposed to be working under the council surfaced in the moot.
As per the budget summary of the PEC development and operational budget for 2022-23 of the council, the total development and operational budget increased by 31 percent in comparison to 2021-22.
In the proposed budget for 2022-23, the development budget outlay stands at Rs.4371.51 million (against the actual Rs.600.51 million) and operational outlay at Rs.1152.1 million (against Rs29.09 million) showing an increase of 31 percent and 11 percent respectively. The increase, a senior engineer advised, should be curbed especially on the non-development side.
Moreover, a senior CIDB engineer proposed that the representation of contractors should be enhanced as his community contributes more than anyone in terms of revenue to the council.
The AGM’s issues and heat remained for the day but in the moot many engineers continued talking about the decisions made in the meeting of the Governing Body that was held a day earlier. Many dissent voices and whispers could be heard on issues about a contract given to a retired employee of the council and confirmation of the post of the advisor to the chairman but as some members claim no one did oppose the decisions on which they were not pleased though.n