PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) and the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) have urged the provincial government to allocate at least Rs25 billion for public-sector universities in the provincial budget for fiscal year 2026-27 and immediately release funds to clear pending salaries and pensions.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, FAPUASA KP President and PUTA President Prof Dr Zakirullah Jan expressed serious concern over the persistent financial crisis confronting public universities across the province.
He said the universities were facing severe financial constraints, delayed salaries and pensions, shrinking resources, and inadequate teaching and research facilities.The leaders of the teaching fraternity said the federal budget for 2026-27, presented on June 12, had deeply disappointed the higher education sector by failing to address its pressing financial needs.
They said that while countries around the world were investing heavily in higher education, research, innovation, and youth development, Pakistan continued to neglect its universities.With the provincial budget expected next week, FAPUASA and PUTA called upon Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the provincial minister for higher education, and the finance minister to demonstrate their commitment to education by announcing a special package of Rs25 billion for public-sector universities.
According to the associations, the proposed allocation is essential for ensuring the timely payment of salaries and pensions, sustaining academic and research activities, promoting innovation, and producing graduates capable of competing globally on the basis of knowledge and skills.
They stressed that university teachers and employees deserved dignity, respect, and financial security. Despite prolonged uncertainty and financial hardship, faculty members and staff had continued to perform their teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities with dedication and professionalism, they added.
FAPUASA and PUTA expressed particular concern over the worsening financial situation at the University of Peshawar, where employees and pensioners have reportedly not received salaries and pensions for the past two months.
They warned that funds for the payment of July salaries and pensions were also unavailable, raising fears of a further deterioration in the crisis.The teachers’ bodies stated that the University of Peshawar had formally requested a supplementary grant of Rs619 million through the Higher Education Department and the Finance Department for the payment of outstanding salaries and pensions up to June 2026. However, the request has yet to be approved, leaving employees and pensioners without relief despite facing circumstances beyond their control.
They demanded that the provincial government immediately release the supplementary grant and establish a sustainable financial mechanism to ensure the uninterrupted payment of salaries and pensions at all public universities.
FAPUASA and PUTA also urged policymakers to treat higher education as a strategic investment in the future of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan rather than as a recurring expenditure.
“Investment in universities is an investment in human capital, economic growth, social development, and national prosperity,” they said, expressing hope that the provincial government would take timely and effective measures to safeguard the future of higher education and protect the dignity of university employees and pensioners.
Outlining their demands, the FAPUASA and PUTA leaders said that the most urgent needs were the allocation of at least Rs25 billion for public-sector universities in the provincial budget for 2026-27, the immediate release of the Rs 619 million supplementary grant for the University of Peshawar, the establishment of a sustainable funding mechanism for salaries and pensions, and the prioritisation of higher education as a strategic sector for the province’s future development.
