Foreign Companies Are Ordered to Hire 70% Pakistani Engineers: PEC

Foreign companies are not following the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) terms and conditions for employing 70 percent of their workforce from Pakistani engineers when the companies are awarded projects in the country.

This was revealed before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which met with Sajid Mehdi in the chair on Tuesday.

The agenda items regarding pending legislative business referred to the committee were deferred for the next meeting due to the non availability of Mover and representative from Ministry of Law and Justice.


ALSO READ

Ministry of IT Launches Free IT Certifications & Trainings, Applications Open


During the briefing of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Chairman Javed Saleem Qureshi informed that (PEC) has mandated for regulation of engineering professionals through registration and practice of engineering, regulation of quality engineering education in line with international standard through accreditation, continuous professional engineering development of engineers, regulation of construction industry & consultant and act as think tank to render the advice on technical matters/projects for federal government.

He also informed that engineering education in Pakistan has been recognized internationally under the Washington Accord as of June, 2017 due the efforts of (PEC). Responding to a question of the member, he elaborated that Chairman PEC has been elected as Deputy President of Federation of Engineering Institutions of Islamic Countries (FEIIC).

The number of unemployed engineers is increasing in the country, said member committee Usman Tarakai, adding that companies are exploiting engineers. Engineers are forced to sell certificates for a few thousand rupees. Pakistani engineers working abroad should be given a vote in council elections, Tarakai added.

At present, there are 270,000 engineers across the country. The previous government had launched an internship program for fifteen thousand engineers, said the chairman PEC, adding that the present government abolished the internship program for engineers. The PEC is trying for internships for engineers in the Kamyab Jawan program.


ALSO READ

Over 1,000 Pakistani Students Stuck in the City Where Coronavirus Broke Out


The committee was informed that engineers and laborers are also being brought from China for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The chairman PEC said that foreign companies coming to Pakistan are bound to retain 70 percent Pakistani engineers. The PEC wrote a letter to the government of Pakistan and an SRO was issued on the recommendation of the council, but this law is not being implemented.

The chairman PEC further informed that ensuring the best quality of engineering education in the country, all universities have been instructed to fulfill the mandatory requirement for establishment of a university; otherwise, the guilty universities will be banned and their students will be shifted to other universities and due to this 97% universities have fulfilled the basic requirements while the rest are making efforts.

Furthermore, opening universities in rental or leased buildings has been banned. All universities have been instructed have an amount of Rs 25 million as endowment fund and Rs 20 million in the bank account to run the engineering programs. They have been instructed to enroll the new students as per sanctioned strength fixed for all departments by PEC.

The PEC is also developing software for registration of the students of the universities through biometric verification from NADRA. This software would be helpful for PEC and engineering students.

Special and Certification Courses for fresh graduate engineers

Pakistan Engineering Council has also introduced special and certification courses for fresh graduate engineers so that they can become self-employed. The PEC has also taken steps to provide opportunities to the fresh graduates for getting the C-II category license for self-employment. The PEC has also provided online registration and renewals for Pakistanis engineers settled abroad.

PEC has ability to act as a think tank for the country in developing a Water Policy, Construction Industry Regulations, Engineering Education, Building Code and Solar Grid Stations.



  • Get Alerts

    Follow ProPakistani to get latest news and updates.


    ProPakistani Community

    Join the groups below to get latest news and updates.



    >