Vice chancellors of 10 public sector universities met Federal Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh here on Friday to discuss payment of additional grant to the varsities.
It is worth mentioning that the government announced 50 per cent increase in government employees’ salaries last year and 15 per cent this year. The meeting also discussed World Bank-funded US $300 million education support programme.
The vice chancellors thanked the minister for his continued support to the higher education sector and said they were aware of the dire economic straits Pakistan was in. They, however, added the salary increases announced by the government had made the universities’ budget non-sustainable.
The minister heard the vice chancellors’ point of view patiently and said he understood the delicacy of the situation. After a detailed discussion, he asked Special Secretary Finance Rana Asad Amin to discuss the issue and come up with a rational relief for the universities in need.
The vice chancellors who were headed by Executive Committee of Vice Chancellors Chairman Imtiaz Gillani also proposed that this relief should be embedded as part of recurring budget. The finance minister appreciated the positive approach of the heads of institutions and suggested that as two pillars of government, such meetings should be held more often for better understanding between the two stakeholders.
The meeting was also attended by Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Javaid R Leghari, Dr Sohail Naqvi, HEC executive director, Director General Dr Mazhar Saeed, Director Administration and Coordination Rana Asad Amin and Special Secretary Finance Seerat Asghar. The vice chancellors were Dr Nasser Ali Khan, IMS director, Peshawar, Ahmad Farooq Bazai, vice chancellor, Balochistan University of Management and Sciences, Quetta, Ms Sultana Balouch, VC, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta, Dr Mujahid Kamran, VC, University of the Punjab, Dr Nizamauddin, Gujrat, Dr Nilofer Shaikh, Khairpur, Dr AQ Mughal, VC, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Dr Masoon Yasinzai, VC, Quaid-e-Azam University, and Dr Najma Najam, VC, Karakorum International University, Gilgit.
