Equipment Worth Billions Goes Missing From Govt-Controlled Research Labs

Laboratory equipment worth Rs. 1.5 billion has gone missing or been damaged, the Senate Committee on Science and Technology was informed on Tuesday about the aftermath of closing down multiple government-run national scientific institutions.

Officials told the committee that major labs have been closed, while some scientific institutions merged or were abolished, and critical research infrastructure either dismantled, left in disarray, or simply vanished.

Concerns were raised over the National Institute of Electronics, where laboratory equipment had been “thrown on the ground” during dismantling operations. Lawmakers questioned the absence of any formal disposal or transfer procedure and that institutional closure did not justify the destruction of state assets.

The laboratories alone contained equipment worth around Rs. 1.5 billion, much of which is now unaccounted for or missing. The institute had been actively engaged in chip design and electronics research, and no legal framework or agreement supported the arbitrary dismantling of its facilities.

The Secretary for Science and Technology confirmed that, following a cabinet decision in January 2025, several institutions were shut down or merged on performance grounds. These included the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, whose building has now been handed over to the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

Institutions working in alternative energy, water, housing, and electronics were affected, while the National Institute of Technology was merged into Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR).

Lawmakers strongly criticized this habit and warned that abandoning electronics and transistor-based research undermines Pakistan’s strategic scientific capacity.

The committee chair warned that such actions reflect poor governance and could cause irreversible damage to the country’s research and technology ecosystem.