MUZAFFARABAD: The vice chancellors of five public sector universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday called upon the AJK president to address the financial woes being faced by the varsities to keep them afloat.
In this regard, an urgent meeting of the vice chancellors of all five public sector universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was held at Kashmir House, Islamabad to discuss the severe financial crisis facing these institutions, especially concerning the payment of salaries and pensions to the universities’ staff and pensioners.
The vice chancellors, after the meeting, conveyed their concerns and the potential repercussions of the financial crisis to the AJK president who is the chancellor of the universities.
The participants of the meeting included Prof. Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Brigadier (R) Prof. Dr Muhammad Younis Javed, Vice Chancellor of Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Prof. Dr Abdul Hameed, Vice Chancellor of Women University Bagh, Prof. Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakir, Vice Chancellor of the University of Poonch, and Prof. Dr Rahmat Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kotli.
The vice chancellors said that they have repeatedly informed all relevant forums and authorities about the financial crisis facing the varsities over the years through written and verbal communication, but no positive development has occurred. As a result, the crisis has intensified, leaving the universities with no resources to pay salaries and pensions, they added.
They said the main reasons behind this crisis include the lack of increase in funding from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) since 2017, low student fees in public sector universities, the introduction of BS degree programmes in colleges, resulting in decreased university enrollments, and HEC’s discontinuation of private degree programmes. In addition, salaries and pensions have increased by 135 percent over the past seven years, rendering the universities unable to manage payments within their current financial resources, they added.
The vice chancellors have been making efforts to resolve the financial issues of the universities, including meetings with the AJK president and chairman of the Higher Education Commission. In this connection, the AJK president had expressed concerns in a letter addressed to the AJK PM on June 7, 2024, warning that the absence of financial support from the AJK government could lead to potential unemployment of faculty and staff and affect over 30,000 students enrolled in higher education programmes.
The president demanded a grant of at least Rs3 billion to mitigate the financial deficit. Similarly, continuous meetings and efforts by the vice chancellors with the HEC chairman led to a letter from Prof. Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the HEC, to the AJK PM on June 24, 2024. In this letter, Dr Mukhtar emphasised the need for the AJK government to allocate the required funds in the 2024-25 budget for state universities, similar to other provinces.
The HEC chairman also highlighted the significant reduction in grants to state universities and the financial strain caused by inflation, warning that the universities across Pakistan, especially in AJK, were operating under frozen budgets despite rising costs.
The senior faculty delegation from the universities also met with the AJK PM during the budget session, informing him of the crisis’s sensitivity and the severe threats to the universities’ existence without immediate government financial intervention. The delegation stressed that without this support, ongoing essential educational and research activities could be halted, potentially harming the region’s socio-economic development.
The university officials emphasised that the government should revise its budget and immediately allocate Rs3 billion to state universities to prevent further financial decline and support long-term development and innovation essential for regional and national progress.
Police termed the incident target killing
According to sources all the legislators and senators of PPP Parliamentarians are invited
Washington has reaffirmed its commitment to resettle thousands of Rohingya in the United States
This was revealed in letter sent by DC Nankana Sahib to the ETPB along with an intelligence report
Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had “liberated the settlement of Novohrodivka”
Akash Singh, who worked in the building, said a pillar had developed a crack
