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LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has formally prohibited universities and degree-awarding institutions from establishing or operating sub-campuses at the Tehsil level.
The directive issued in this regard makes clear that degrees awarded through any unapproved Tehsil-level sub-campus will not qualify for HEC recognition, attestation, or regulatory protection.
In a strongly worded notification issued by HEC Chairman Engr Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, the Commission stated that such campuses are “structurally weak, academically unsustainable, and face difficulties in attracting qualified faculty, maintaining programme viability, and providing adequate infrastructure.”
The directive makes clear that degrees awarded through any unapproved Tehsil-level sub-campus will not qualify for HEC recognition, attestation, or regulatory protection. This means students enrolled in such campuses risk having their qualifications invalidated.
The notification, a copy available with The News, outlines immediate measures, stating that all pending proposals for Tehsil-level sub-campuses stand suspended with immediate effect. It further directs that no admissions, advertisements, faculty hiring, land acquisition, procurement, or construction activity may be initiated for such campuses. Any campus currently under consideration at institutional, provincial, or federal level must be placed in abeyance and referred to HEC for review. The Commission also made it clear that responsibility for any violation of this directive will rest with the Vice Chancellor, Rector, Head of institution, Registrar, and members of the approving authority.
Sharing the decision on Facebook, Dr. Niaz wrote: “To uphold quality standards across higher education, I have directed that no university or degree awarding institution shall open or run sub-campuses at Tehsil level, effective immediately.”
According to HEC, the move is aimed at ensuring that academic standards, proper facilities, and student outcomes are not compromised. The notification has been circulated to all higher education institutions across Pakistan.
Talking to The News Engr. Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said that the quality of education remained a major challenge for the country’s higher education institutions. He noted that around 50 percent of faculty members in public sector universities held PhD degrees, while the ratio in private sector institutions was only about 25 percent. He added that the Higher Education Commission was also working to streamline the attestation of degrees through the Foreign Office, making the process easier and more efficient for all stakeholders.
