ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The Senate standing committee on social welfare and special education on Saturday discussed the matter of hiring of a consultant for pre-project preparatory studies on inclusive education. The committee, which met here under the chairmanship of Senator Dr Nighat Agha, was given a detailed briefing on the objectives of the programme and funding for the pre-project studies including hiring of the consultant.

Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education Secretary Naeem Khan said the purpose of the programme was to enable children with mild disabilities to integrate into the mainstream education system and to put an end to the feeling of deprivation among the disabled.

The committee was informed that the pre-project studies were to be financed by the World Bank-managed Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) and consultancy fee of Ms Hirschberg was to be paid by the Department for International Development (DFID), UK, directly under a contract.

The secretary told the committee that so far no funds had been provided to the ministry either for the pre-project preparatory studies or for payment to the consultant, therefore, it had no role in the consultant’s appointment.

He said the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor General of Pakistan in a recent meeting had endorsed the ministry’s position with regard to the appointment.

Following the briefing, the committee members expressed the view that the reports which appeared in a section of the press about the consultant’s appointment and the fee paid to her were incorrect and without foundation as there was no project on ground.

However, they said the government should review the matter of appointment of foreign consultants on projects and adopt such procedures which served the national interest.

The other item on the agenda — working, structure and projects of Pakistan Baitul Mal — was deferred due to paucity of time.

Besides the Federal Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zobaida Jalal, the meeting was attended by senators Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, Farhatullah Babar, Saadia Abbasi, Tanveer Khalid and Mohammad Enver Baig.—APP