The National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), the country’s most important forum for advancing science and technology, has not convened a meeting in the last 22 years, according to official sources.
The last meeting of the NCST took place in 2002, during the government of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, chaired by the then-prime minister. Despite the rapidly evolving landscape of global science and technology, no subsequent government has held a meeting of the NCST, raising concerns about the lack of attention given to this critical sector.
Sources reveal that prime ministers over the past two decades either did not prioritize or were not interested in the development of science and technology, which is why the meetings of this important commission have not been held. The Ministry of Science and Technology, along with the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST), prepared the agenda for an NCST meeting and sent it to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in previous years, but no action was taken.
In addition, the Executive Committee of the NCST, which plays a vital role in implementing the commission’s directives, last met in 2016. The prolonged absence of NCST meetings has raised concerns about Pakistan’s ability to keep pace with global scientific innovations and advancements, as the forum is crucial for policy-making and strategic planning in science and technology.
With new innovations emerging in science and technology every day, regular meetings of the NCST are necessary to ensure that Pakistan remains competitive in this vital sector.
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