ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances on Thursday expressed concern over years-long delays in establishing a COMSATS University campus in Quetta.
The project, approved in 2016, has yet to take off due to funding shortfalls. Lawmakers warned that such setbacks risk depriving Balochistan’s students of higher education opportunities.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha chaired the meeting. Senators Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, Husna Bano, Muhammad Aslam Abro, Nasir Mehmood, and Faisal Javed attended. They urged the government to release funds without further delay to move the project forward.
The committee also criticized COMSATS for relying on ad-hoc arrangements. Members demanded permanent appointments to key statutory posts, including Rector, Pro-Rectors, Campus Directors, Registrar, Treasurer, and Controller of Examinations.
Lawmakers called for scrapping the current OG/SG pay system and adopting the national Basic Pay Scale (BPS) to ensure fair and competitive salaries. They further pressed for transparency in managing statutory funds, citing irregularities flagged in the AGP Audit Report 2017–18.
University officials informed the panel that the University Senate has formed a three-member sub-committee to address governance and financial issues. They added that periodic audits have already been conducted in recent years.
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Concluding the session, Senator Agha directed COMSATS officials to submit point-by-point responses at the next meeting. He said the committee would continue strict oversight to ensure accountability and timely completion of the Quetta campus.
