24% educated Pakistanis unemployed, Senate body informed

• PIDE officials brief Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
• Sixteen percent of the uneducated population is unemployed, PIDE officials tell committee.
• PIDE officials inform committee that 24% of the graduates are jobless — of which 40% are females.

Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives was informed on Monday that 16% of the uneducated population is unemployed, while 24% of graduates were jobless — of which 40% are females.

The development came during the committee's meeting held under the chairmanship of Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, where a comprehensive briefing by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on their roles, functions, and performance was given.

The officials of the PIDE further elaborated that there are also hidden numbers such as those who only take admission in MPhil and PhD programs because they do not have employment opportunities.

“Some 80% of students are enrolling themselves because of unemployment and this number is not included in any count” the PIDE officials informed.

The PIDE officials also debated on the criteria through which universities are registered in Pakistan.

The committee was informed that unlike the global practice of enlisting universities through chatters, Pakistan approves universities through a bill introduced by the HEC.

Issues faced by Chinese investors

Meanwhile, the committee also directed the concerned authorities to address all the issues faced by the Chinese investors working especially under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The committee's chairman inquired about the forum on which the issue of the Chinese investors should be taken. “There should be a remedy at the government level,” he said.

Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives' secretary informed the committee that a Pak-China Committee had been constituted with the objective to remove the hurdles of finalisation and execution of the projects.

The constituency of the CPEC authority, headed by a chairman is also an apt authority to redress issues faced by the Chinese investors, he emphasised.

The committee's chairman lashed out by saying that it is a "general observation" that the committees are non-effective and do not produce results in "yes or no".

“There should be a focal person to communicate the issues between the concerned authorities and the investors,” Mandviwalla said.