ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday constituted a task force that would recommend a way forward in setting up provincial higher education commissions (HECs).

During the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, the prime minister was briefed by Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Mohammad Imtiaz Tajwar and HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and other provincial officials also shared their points of view with the participants over the role of the Higher Education Commission in the federal capital and the higher education commissions in the provinces.

Mr Tajwar and Dr Mukhtar Ahmed told the CCI that under the Supreme Court`s decision in 2011, HEC would remain functional in its existing form unless a new legislation was carried out. They further said that the HEC was a federal subject, which was protected under the Federal Legislative List Part-II.

They added that recently the law ministry had stated that the provincial HECs were ultra vires the Constitution.

Sources said the secretary education said in 2011, a task force was formed to review the HEC Act 2002 in the post 18th Amendment scenario. However, the task force, due to various reasons, could not be notified, and beforeit could commence its task, Sindh and Punjab set up their respective HECs.

On the other hand, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and other officers concerned said under Article 142, the provincial governments had the right to make legislation for the establishment of their HECs.

They told the Council of Common Interests that in the light of the 18th Amendment, education was a provincial subject and the role of HEC had been confined to maintaining standards in higher education and attestation of degrees.

In the light of the arguments of the meeting participants, the prime minister directed formation of a new committee/task force, under the supervision of Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, and tasked it with preparing recommendations within one month to resolve the issue.

The recommendations would be discussed in the next CCI meeting.

The task force will also comprise representatives from the provinces, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, HEC and Ministry of InterProvincialCoordination.

Talking to Dawn, Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry said Sindh and the centre presented their viewpoints on the HECs.

`The new task force is responsible for preparing recommendations on the HE C and provincial higher education commissions which it would submit in a month,` Mr Chaudhry added.