The mandatory inclusion of Pakistan Studies at the undergraduate level has been discontinued.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has taken a significant step in its undergraduate policy by removing the mandatory status of Pakistan Studies.

Under the new undergraduate policy scheduled for implementation in the 2023 scheme of studies, Pakistan Studies will no longer be obligatory in BA, BSc, and all honors degree programs.

This decision has generated mixed reactions within academic circles. Representatives from the Federation of All Pakistan Academic Staff Association and Dr. Amjad Magsi, the General Secretary of the Punjab University Academic Staff Association, have voiced concerns.

They highlighted that Pakistan Studies has been an integral part of the graduate-level curriculum for many decades, and substituting it with another subject could raise sensitive issues related to national sentiments. They appealed to the HEC to reconsider and reintroduce Pakistan Studies as a mandatory subject at the undergraduate level.

In contrast, a spokesperson for the Higher Education Commission clarified that universities are not bound to follow this policy. The choice of including or excluding Pakistan Studies from the curriculum rests with individual institutions, allowing them flexibility across different universities.