ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has developed a course on Pakistan Studies, emphasising its incorporation in the education component of undergraduate education policy.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday from Islamabad, in that connection, the HEC Course Design Committee held a meeting at the HEC Regional Centre, Karachi, to formulate a two-credit course titled ‘Pakistan Studies’ for undergraduate programmes.

Deputy Director HEC Mohammad Ali Baig commenced the session by elucidating the rationale and parameters guiding the consultation process. He emphasised the imperative for a meticulously crafted course on Pakistan Studies that offers students a comprehensive exploration of Pakistan’s identity, encompassing its geographical, historical, and cultural dimensions.

The committee comprised experts in the field, including Chairperson Department of Pakistan Studies Government College University Faisalabad Prof. Dr. Abdul Qadir Mushtaq; Chairman Department of Pakistan Studies Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Prof. Dr. Javed Akhtar Salyana; Chairman Department of History and Pakistan Studies University of the Punjab Lahore Dr. Mahboob Hussain; Director Pakistan Study Centre University of Balochistan Quetta Prof. Dr. Mohammad Usman; Director Pakistan Study Centre University of the Punjab Lahore Prof. Dr. Naumana Kiran; Director Pakistan Study Centre University of Sindh Jamshore Dr. Shuja Ahmed Mahesar; Director National Institute of Pakistan Studies Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Hanif Khan; Chairperson Department of Pakistan Studies Islamia University of Bahawalpur Associate Professor Dr. Robina Yasmin; and In-charge Pakistan Study Centre University of Karachi Assistant Professor Dr. Erum Muzaffar.

The committee designed the course and underscored the importance of its incorporation into the general education component of the Undergraduate Education Policy. However, it underlined that the course should not serve as a substitute for the existing “Ideology and Constitution of Pakistan” course as outlined in the same policy.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024