VCs of all five public sector universities of AJK demand immediate financial aid to prevent collapse

ISLAMABAD, August 04 (SABAH): An urgent meeting of the Vice Chancellors of all five public sector universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was held in Islamabad to discuss the severe financial crisis facing these institutions, specifically concerning the payment of salaries and pensions to university staff and pensioners. The Vice Chancellors conveyed their concerns and the potential repercussions of the financial crisis to the President of AJK who is the Chancellor of the universities following the meeting.

Participants in this crucial meeting included Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad; Brigadier (Retd) 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 highlighted that they have repeatedly informed all relevant forums and authorities about the financial crisis over the years through written and verbal communication, but no positive development has occurred. Consequently, the crisis has intensified, leaving the universities with no resources to pay salaries and pensions. The main reasons for 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 programs in colleges, resulting in decreased university enrollments, and HEC’s discontinuation of private degree programs. Simultaneously, salaries and pensions have increased by 135% over the past seven years, rendering the universities unable to manage payments within their current financial resources.

The Vice Chancellors have made continuous efforts to resolve the financial issues, including meetings with the President of AJK/Chancellor of the universities and the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission. As a result, the President expressed concerns in a letter to the Prime Minister of AJK 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 programs. The President demanded a grant of at least 3 billion rupees 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 Prime Minister of AJK on June 24, 2024. In this letter, Dr. Mukhtar emphasized 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 highlighted the significant reduction in grants to state universities and the financial strain caused by inflation, warning that universities across Pakistan, especially in AJK, are operating under frozen budgets despite rising costs.

The senior faculty delegation from the universities also met with the Prime Minister of AJK 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.

University officials emphasized that the government should revise its budget and immediately allocate 3 billion rupees to state universities to prevent further financial decline and support long-term development and innovation essential for regional and national progress.

It is worth noting that this financial crisis is not the first of its kind; universities in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab have also faced similar issues. The governments of Sindh and Balochistan have permanently allocated grants in their annual budgets to rescue their universities from financial crises, with 35 billion rupees and 5 billion rupees respectively allocated for the current financial year. Following the 18th Amendment, higher education is a provincial responsibility, and provinces have been allocating funds for their universities in their budgets, a step yet to be taken by the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.