ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: The Senate Standing Committee on Education, Science and Technology has said that there was a dire need to establish more engineering, science and technology universities in the country to pave the way for accelerated development and improve the quality of life in Pakistan.

The Senate body, which met here with Senator Razina Alam Khan in the chair, also called for strong linkages between the science and technology universities and the industry to promote knowledge-based development.

Members of the committee said that the current GDP growth could only be sustained by maintaining a developed and competitive industrial sector and technical education holds the key to growth.

They suggested that more attention should be paid to the far-flung areas of the country for setting up new world-class universities so that they could act as a prelude to development.

Senator Razina Alam, who is also chairperson of the committee, lauded the contribution made by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to promote higher education in the country and steps taken to establish new universities in collaboration with foreign countries.

She expressed the hope that the establishment of more universities of international standard would have a positive impact on reducing poverty and bringing in economic empowerment.

Earlier, HEC head Dr Attaur Rehman gave a detailed presentation on the new engineering universities to be established by the authority.

He said that development of a critical mass of technical manpower was essential to fill the gaps in various sectors. The establishment of a network of Universities of Engineering, Science and Technology of Pakistan (UESTP) would address the problems in a unique way.

Dr Rehman informed that some agreements had been signed, whereas negotiations were underway with different organisations to establish the universities along with integrated technology pass which would help improving knowledge, power workforce and industrial base.

The meeting was attended by senators Tahira Latif, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Rahana Yahya Baloch, Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, S.M. Zafar, Dr Mohammad Said, Maulvi Agha Mohammad, Sajid Mir and Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.