ISLAMABAD        -     The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) on Friday expressed grave concern over the financial crises faced by universities in Pakistan.

Many universities are currently facing budgetary problems, which has resulted in them being unable to pay the monthly salaries of their faculty and staff members. Consequently, the University of Balochistan Quetta and the University of Peshawar are closed due to non-payment of monthly salaries and several other universities are also to be closed in the next couple of days. Central President Prof. Dr Kalim Ullah Bareach, Vice President Dr Farukh Arsalan Siddiqui, and General Secretary Prof. Dr Ikhtuar Ali Ghomro strongly called upon the federal government to enhance the annual recurring and development budget to at least Rs. 500 billion for universities in the federal government budget (2023-2024) and all provincial governments to also increase their Grants in Aids to their respective universities, said the FAPUASA spokesperson.

“The current budgetary allocation for universities is insufficient, and it has become increasingly difficult for universities to meet their expenses and even to pay monthly salaries,” they said, adding as a result, many faculty and staff members were suffering and unable to make ends meet. The lack of funds had also led to a deterioration in the quality of education provided by universities, they highlighted and added that the universities were unable to invest in research, technology and infrastructure, “leading to a decline in the quality of education and research output, which is a cause of concern for FAPUASA Central.”

The federal government should prioritise the allocation of funds to universities as the future of Pakistan was dependent on the quality of education and research produced by its universities, they urged. “Therefore, we call upon the federal government to increase the budget allocation for universities and ensure that they receive the necessary funds to continue their operations,” they added. They said FAPUASA Central was committed to working with the government to find a solution to the financial issues faced by universities and expressed.