The National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training raised strong objections after the Executive Director of NAVTTC was absent from a meeting held at the NAVTTC headquarters in H-9, Islamabad, continuing a pattern of non-attendance over the last four sessions. Chairperson Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Somroo and members said they had expected the Executive Director to be present when the committee convened on NAVTTC premises, but he remained absent yet again.
Committee members said the Executive Director had informed his staff a day earlier that he would not attend and advised that members should be “managed,” and that the Federal Secretary had been told in advance that the ED did not wish to face the committee. Lawmakers reported learning through sources two days before the meeting that the ED planned to avoid the session.
During the proceedings, which ran from about 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., a NAVTTC official claimed the Executive Director was attending a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House. Members instructed the Federal Secretary to verify this immediately, and independent checks confirmed there was no such meeting at the Prime Minister’s House during that timeframe, undermining the explanation provided to the committee.
Minutes after the committee adjourned and members began to leave, the Executive Director appeared inside the NAVTTC building and met with the Federal Secretary in his office, by which time the committee chairperson had already departed. Members said this sequence of events suggested back-channel coordination and described the ED as effectively “caught red-handed” avoiding parliamentary oversight.
The Standing Committee indicated a decision has been taken to initiate action against the Executive Director, questioning whether the Federal Secretary would continue to defend alleged absences by claiming direct engagement with the Prime Minister. Lawmakers warned that continued defiance of National Assembly oversight would not be tolerated and voiced serious concerns about transparency and governance within NAVTTC.
