ISLAMABAD, Aug 03 (APP): The senior parliamentarian Shahida Akhtar Ali on Thursday passionately appealed to the Minister for Finance and Revenue, urging him to extend the MPhil allowance to holders of MS degrees.
Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, MNA Shahida Akhtar Ali belonging to MMAP, highlighted the current disparity wherein the Finance Ministry had sanctioned a monthly allowance of Rs. 2,500 for MPhil degree holders, yet this entitlement was regrettably denied to those possessing MS degrees.
Despite both qualifications encompassing 18 years of education as per Higher Education Commission, this discrepancy remained unresolved. She emphasized that the term MPhil had evolved into the designation of MS, making this differentiation obsolete.
Shahida Akhtar Ali expressed her concerns regarding the adverse impact of this discrepancy, as it not only treated MS degree holders unfairly but also discouraged the pursuit of higher education.
She also advocated for the inclusion of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in the list of beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme. She argued that AIOU’s students, predominantly hailing from remote regions such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were in dire need of laptops to facilitate their educational pursuits. Given the financial constraints faced by most AIOU students, who struggle to cover their fees, procuring laptops for research and educational purposes becomes an additional burden.
She passionately urged the Finance and Education Ministers to promptly address these issues and extend the MPhil allowance to those with an MS degree and include AIOU in laptop scheme.
In the end, she noted that numerous bills concerning the establishment of private universities have been approved in the House. While education should indeed be accessible to all in alignment with the constitution, she underscored the importance of upholding rigorous standards of education.
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