The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has made a significant alteration to its undergraduate policy by eliminating Pakistan Studies as a compulsory subject.
Under the new undergraduate policy, set to be implemented in the 2023 scheme of studies, Pakistan Studies will no longer be obligatory in BA, BSc, and all honors degree programs.
The decision has elicited varied reactions from academic circles. Representatives from the Federation of All Pakistan Academic Staff Association and Dr. Amjad Magsi, the General Secretary of the Punjab University Academic Staff Association, have expressed concerns.
They emphasized that Pakistan Studies has been part of the graduate-level curriculum for several decades, and substituting it with another subject might evoke sensitive concerns related to national sentiments.
They urged the HEC to reconsider and reinstate Pakistan Studies as a mandatory subject at the undergraduate level.
Contrarily, a spokesperson for the Higher Education Commission clarified that universities are not obligated to adhere to this policy.
The decision to include or exclude Pakistan Studies from the curriculum remains at the discretion of individual institutions, allowing for flexibility across different universities.
Source: Pro Pakistani