Public sector universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are grappling with severe financial challenges, leading to delays in salary and pension payments for both academic staff and retirees.
According to media reports, this has caused significant distress among university employees, many of whom are struggling to meet basic living expenses.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Universities Coordination Council, which represents faculty and staff, has called on the provincial government to immediately release the necessary funds to ensure timely disbursement of salaries and pensions.
Council members, including Dr Noor Muhammad, Prof Dr Qibla Ayaz, and Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, addressed the media at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, criticizing the government’s failure to address the financial crisis despite the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. They pointed out that while powers were devolved to provinces, no meaningful reforms had been introduced to improve the financial management of public universities, particularly the delayed establishment of a provincial Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Prof Dr Ihsan Ali highlighted that universities have been unable to implement faculty promotions since 2018, while their financial conditions worsen. He shared that many academic staff members and pensioners had been unable to afford basic needs, such as clothing for their children during Eid, due to unpaid dues.
Dr Noor Muhammad described the situation as a result of both financial mismanagement and a lack of empathy from those in power, urging the provincial government to take responsibility for ensuring the timely payment of pensions and adequately funding the universities.
Furthermore, it was revealed that some retired employees, whose pensions were due as far back as 2019, are still waiting to receive their benefits.
The council has demanded the establishment of a fully independent provincial HEC, composed of qualified education experts, to address the administrative, academic, and financial challenges faced by universities in the region. Additionally, they have called for sufficient budget allocations in the upcoming fiscal year to avoid a repeat of such crises.
In response to the ongoing crisis, the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) is organizing an ‘Educational Jirga’ on May 15. The event will gather stakeholders, including civil society, political leaders, educationists, and journalists, with the provincial government invited to attend. The Jirga will seek solutions to the financial difficulties faced by universities and advocate for the establishment of a functional Higher Education Commission in the province.
