Senate panel unanimously approves 33pc women representation on all federal boards

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, approved the inclusion of uniform 33 percent women representation across all federal boards, statutory bodies, public sector organizations, universities, and allied committees through the proposed amendments

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2026) The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, approved the inclusion of uniform 33 percent women representation across all federal boards, statutory bodies, public sector organizations, universities, and allied committees through the proposed amendments.

The committee under the chairmanship of Bushra Anjum Butt met on Monday, to deliberate on a series of key government bills and important matters relating to educational reforms, institutional governance, accessibility for students with disabilities, degree attestation reforms, and concerns regarding examination transparency.

Regarding women representation across all federal boards, Chairperson Senator Bushra Anjum Butt stated that women’s inclusion in decision-making forums was essential for institutional balance, transparency, and progressive governance in the education sector.

She emphasized that the committee strongly supports legislative reforms aimed at ensuring meaningful participation of women in national institutions.

The committee considered and unanimously passed all government bills referred by the Senate during its sitting held on 8 May 2026. The bills were moved by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Education and referred to the committee for consideration and report.

The committee considered amendments to the National Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority Act, 2022. The proposed amendments were prepared by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in line with the Prime Minister’s directive to ensure 33 percent women representation in all federal bodies.

The amendments also seek to replace the term “Federal Government” with appropriate authorities in accordance with the directions of the Federal Cabinet and recommendations of the Cabinet Division. The draft amended bill has already been vetted and approved by the Ministry of Law and Justice under Rules 27(1) read with Rule 16(1)(a) of the Rules of business, 1973.

The committee also approved amendments to the Centre for Clinical Psychology Centres Act, 1983. It was informed that there are currently two Clinical Psychology Centres functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Education and Professional Training. These centres operate in affiliation with respective universities and focus on the study of languages, culture, social structure, and literature of various regions of Pakistan. The proposed amendments incorporate the mandatory 33 percent women representation and administrative changes recommended by the Cabinet Division and vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The committee further passed the National Textile University, Faisalabad (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Officials informed the committee that the amendments were initiated following the Prime Minister’s directive under Task No. T16367C to ensure women representation in all statutory bodies and public sector organizations. The proposed amendments aim to guarantee adequate representation of women in the Senate and teaching faculty of the university. The committee appreciated the initiative and termed it a positive step towards inclusive higher education governance.

The committee also considered and approved the Area Study Centres (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Members were informed that six Area Study Centres are currently functioning under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and affiliated with respective universities. These centres are governed under the Area Study Centres Act, 1975 and were established to study languages, cultures, social structures, and literature of different regions of Pakistan. The proposed amendments seek to incorporate 33 percent women representation and replace outdated administrative terminology in line with federal directives.

The committee approved amendments to the NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan Act, 2012. During the briefing, officials informed the committee that the institute was established in 1985 to cater to the technological training needs of National Fertilizer Corporation production units. In 1994, the institute diversified its academic activities by launching a BSc Engineering programme in Chemical Engineering in affiliation with Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan.

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In 2012, the institute was upgraded to a federally chartered degree-awarding institute owing to its high academic standards.

The committee was informed that the institute was transferred from the Ministry of Industries and Production to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in 2020. Under the proposed amendments, the name of the institute will be changed from NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan to Federal Institute of Engineering, Sciences, Technology and Arts (FIESTA), Multan.

The amendments further provide that the Minister for Education and Professional Training will serve as Pro-Chancellor instead of the Chairman National Fertilizer Corporation. Additionally, an officer not below the rank of Additional Secretary from the Ministry of Education and Professional Training will become a member of the Senate of the institute. The committee was also informed that representation in the Senate would be expanded by replacing two NFC nominees with one nominee from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and one representative from National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK).

The committee also discussed facilities being provided to visually impaired students appearing in board examinations. Officials briefed the committee that under Clause 1.7(g) of FBISE Examination Rules, visually and physically challenged candidates are provided writer or amanuensis facilities without any additional fee. Writers are paid remuneration of Rs1,000 per paper by the board to facilitate students with disabilities.

The committee was informed that visually impaired students are also provided an additional 45 minutes during examinations and large-font question papers upon request.

The committee sought a detailed briefing from the Directorate General of Special Education regarding implementation and accessibility of writer facilities for visually impaired students across examination systems.

The committee reviewed the implementation status of its previous recommendations regarding the establishment of a modernized online degree attestation mechanism by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Officials informed the committee that a completely online and paperless degree attestation system based on blockchain technology is under development and the work order has already been awarded to the successful bidder.

The committee was informed that HEC has shifted to a fully online and paperless degree attestation system from 11 May 2026. Under the new mechanism, applicants can apply online around the clock through the HEC e-services portal, while e-attestation certificates can be downloaded digitally and verified online. Officials stated that HEC will only attest original degrees under the new system and no photocopies of educational documents will be processed.

The committee was further informed that applicants who had already applied and paid attestation fees under the previous system would continue to be processed through the old mechanism until 30 June 2026. The committee appreciated the digitization initiative and termed it a major step towards transparency, efficiency, and public facilitation.

The committee also took serious notice of recurring paper leak allegations in Cambridge examinations. Members were informed that examination leaks had reportedly occurred over several years and that 11 papers were allegedly leaked during the current examination cycle. The committee noted growing concerns among students and parents regarding transparency, examination security, and accountability mechanisms.

The chairperson committee took serious notice of the issue and regretted that this leads to distortion of National Image globally and must be probed into.

The committee discussed reports highlighting widespread student concerns over the handling of examination breaches and the demands raised through the “Accountability Cambridge” movement. The movement has called for accountability, transparency in investigations, disclosure of security measures, and fair compensation mechanisms for affected students, including threshold normalization instead of retakes.

The meeting was attended by Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan, Senator Rahat Jamali, Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, Senator Kamran Murtaza and senior officials of attached departments