A consultative Public Hearing was organized by Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary services on a proposed bill to discourage plagiarism & malpractices in academic research. The proposed bill titled “The Prevention of Mal-practices in Academia Act, 2016” was set open for consultations & recommendations which resulted in a pool of knowledge & recommendations.
The mover of the proposed bill was Honorable Member National Assembly, Ms. Shakila Luqman who highlighted the need & importance to bring legislation to discourage such practices. She further emphasized on the importance of research culture and dire need to focus on originality. The Executive Director Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services Mr. Zafarullah Khan welcomed the participants of the hearing and shared his point of view on the proposed bill. Sharing his view, Mr. Zafarullah Khan said that public hearing is a new notion in the parliamentary cycle of Pakistan, which is an appreciable trend to allow stakeholder analysis and transparency. He hoped that the new trend will effectively contribute to the knowledge economy of Pakistan.
Other speakers of the hearing were Dr. Farkhanda Zia (International Islamic University), Mr. Mohammad Ismail (Consultant, Higher Education Commission) & Mr. Shahzad Iqbal (American Institute of Pakistan Studies) who presented their views and ideas on the need of devising a strategy to check mal-practices in academic research and plagiarism. Quality research, Quality learning & gaps in the implementation of already available policies were stressed upon. The session ended with questions and recommendations by the participants of the hearing which included Parliamentarians, Academia & Researchers.
Honorable Member National Assembly Ms. Shakila Luqman expressed her gratitude to the team of Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services for desired facilitation in the process. Mr. Zafarullah Khan appreciated the invaluable efforts of the legislative wing of Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services, in holding the absorbing public hearing.