Islamabad:Advancement in technology can bring revolutionary changes but the technology (B.Tech) graduates in the country are deprived of access to higher studies, job opportunity in public departments and promotions due to undefined status of their degrees.

Over 50,000 B.Tech graduates have demanded to establish Pakistan Technology Council (PTC) for their registration, which can safeguard their rights.

Talking to APP here on Sunday, Chairman of Pakistan Council of Technologists Sheikh Javed said that a draft bill for the establishment of Pakistan Technology Council (PTC) was forwarded to the Prime Minister in February 2010, which was sent to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on March 3, 2010 for comments but it was still pending with the ministry.

The government had reiterated its commitment many times to work for the promotion of technical education but the PEC had prohibited the education ministry for establishing Pakistan Technology Council, Javed said.

Over 10,000 B.Tech graduates complete their degrees from different institutes annually and start struggle for jobs.

“I have completed B.Tech programme but there is no scope of this programme in Pakistan so I have decided to go abroad and seek job,” said Atif Malal.

B.Tech programme was formally launched in 1973 and the then Ministry of Education was directed to give status of B.Tech (Hons) degree at par with B.Sc Engineering/B.E degree, according to the letter No. 15-29/73-Tech.

According to the letter no PEC/4-P/QEC, the PEC stated that B.Tech degree would be considered equivalent to B.Sc/BE and the same decision was taken in 9th inter-provincial ministers conference at Quetta in 1986, 39th HEC meeting on 12-2-98, FPSC in its letter no F4-89/2002-R but now the PEC is not ready to accept their status.

The B.Tech holders study the same courses like engineers and are equally competent but they have to struggle and file cases individually to recognise their degree status, Sheikh Javed said.

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has refused to register technologists while different public departments are denying to recognise their degrees, not giving them jobs. Those, who have already got government jobs, do not get promotions up to Grade 16, he said.

Sheikh Javed said the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is also not appointing the B.Tech degree holders directly.

Most of the B.Tech graduates, after completion of their qualification, move to other countries in search of better job opportunities, he said. The technologists holding B.Tech qualification have filed several cases in courts and got 17 decisions in their favour, declaring their degree equivalent to BSc/BE but no decision has not been implemented so far.

The full bench of Supreme Court in Suo Motu Review Petition No. 52 of 1993 gave its verdict on June 05, 1995 in favour of B.Tech (Hons) (PLD 1995 SC 701), thrashing out the role of PEC.

But, the PEC in 2004-05 managed the amendments by adding new clauses and definition of professional engineering work and section 5A of Section 27 only to null and void the decision of full bench of Supreme Court thus to interfere in the service matters and blocking promotion channels of employees possessing B.Tech (Hons) degrees.

Saleem Akhtar, Associate Engineer NESPAK told APP that B.Tech holders are facing severe difficulties due to unclear status of their qualification.

Although the Higher Education Commission (HEC) issues equivalence certificate to the graduates but the public departments refuse to employ them, he said.The news