The National Assembly Standing Committee on Government assurances on Friday ordered the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to reduce the turnaround time for degree attestation, which it said was a complicated and expensive procedure for the students.
The meeting was chaired by MNA Nuzhat Sadiq and was devoted to examining the implementation report that related to an assurance given by the minister for education on the floor of the House on challenges in the attestation process.
Committee members highlighted that waiting time between the submission of application and completion of attestation needs to be made shorter for students, especially for ones seeking admission or employment opportunities in abroad.
They added that such unnecessary delays not only cause stress, but also add to financial costs for applicants.
The HEC chairman briefed the committee on the ongoing reforms saying that a comprehensive, secure and blockchain-based digital system is in the works as part of a broader effort to digital transformation.
The goal of the new system is to make the process smoother and offer greater transparency, and to reduce delays.
According to the chairman, the project will be operational by June 30, 2026.
In phase one, the system will link HEC to 25 universities and the Attestation Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The committee also called for a joint presentation of HEC and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give a clearer picture of the overall attestation mechanism.
Additionally, members discussed the exclusion of newly introduced professional degrees such as business data analysis from the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund fee reimbursement scheme.
The committee asked the establishment division to consider revising its rules to reflect all professional degrees, which were recognised by HEC and relevant accreditation councils.
The secretary assured members that necessary amendments would be made.
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