Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) administration is accused by seven senior members of their governing body. The allegations against administration were that they are issuing a license to foreign firms for execution of construction and operation projects worth billions of rupees without joint ventures (JVs) with Pakistani companies. This action is causing acute damage to economy of Pakistan.
Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has received a letter from members of the council in which ministry is requested to call for the constitution of a commission of inquiry against PEC. The commission will investigate the issuance of licenses to foreign construction and operation firms without any joint venture agreements with their Pakistani companies. This action is a total violation of by-laws.
However, Khadim Hussain Bhatti denied the allegations of issuance of licenses to the foreign companies.
Cases of foreign companies have been approved by 9-member Enrollment Committee as per laws. Out of 66 members of general body, only 7 members have a difference of opinion. The reservation of members would be considered a minority opinion. The available documents suggest that clauses 7(2) and 4 (11) of “Construction and Operation of Engineering Works By-Law 1987” have been violated in this case. While the governing body members Engineer Professor Dr. Salim Tabbassum, Engineer Mian Sultan Mahmood, Engineer Professor Dr. Mohammad Zafar Noon, Engineer Dr. Izhar-ul-Haq, Dr. Niaz Ahmed, Engineer Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain, Engineer Dr. Abdul Sattar Shakir and Dr. Shahab Khushnood have violated this law.
According to the letter, there is a clear violation as per “Clauses 7(2) and 4 (11) of “Construction and Operation of Engineering Works By-Laws 1987” against the objectives of PEC. The clause states that joint venture agreement can be done only if Pakistan lack that expertise or another case maybe to experience into transfer of technology, capacity building, expertise and time and cost optimization to improve economic growth of country.
PEC’s website has details of 18 The governing gigantic and three C+1 category foreign firms while the 8 or 9 cases that have no joint venture agreement have no updates claimed by body members.
Members have accused that licenses were issued to foreign firms till June 2018 where Pakistani constructors d have that expertise. Such decisions have caused huge financial and intellectual damage to the nation.
They claimed, the whole procedure for amendment in the by-laws, about agenda point in the meeting, referral to the CRC Committee, referral to the Act and By-Laws Committee, vetting of the act and by-laws committee. The governing body meeting was ignored deliberately. MoST never received the proposed amendment for a legal opinion from the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
The governing body members also claimed that 10 months ago they talked about the matter in the CRC meeting and also added to minutes. Even then PEC affairs continued issuing illegal licenses.
They said the PEC administration was reportedly planning to forward the “illegal and unlawful” amendment to MoST for sanction and vetting of their illegal acts of omission and commission and urged the secretary to turn down the same in the larger national interest.