LAHORE: The Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM) has alleged that National Council for Homoeopathy (NCH) bypassed merit in constituting a committee for the establishment of an academic project - Hahnemann Homoeopathic University.
In the recently formed committee, all members, including the convener, have been selected despite the fact that their educational qualifications do not meet the fundamental criteria set by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). According to sources, for a university intended to represent Pakistan on an international stage, these members—whose experience is limited solely to clinical practice—have been prioritised over PhD scholars and academic experts.
The stakeholders concerned raised the question as to how individuals who do not meet HEC’s own educational standards can develop a PC-I and an academic framework for a world-class university.
This move will clearly dent council’s priority to improve homoeopathic education. DrKashif Aslam Malik, President of the Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM), rejected the formation of the committee. The inclusion of council members in this committee is a blatant act of favoritism, as these individuals lack the legal and academic eligibility required to establish a university.
DrKashif Aslam Malik further added that the pursuit of a university should have been a serious mission. He demanded that, in accordance with international standards, genuine academic experts should be included in the committee by following the due process. With existing formation of the committee, the project would fall prey to HEC's technical objections and become an embarrassment for the entire homoeopathic community.
