Vice Chancellors (VC) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa public sector universities have unanimously resolved to convene a National Conference of all Pakistan Universities’ Vice Chancellors to look into the dire financial strain being faced by higher education institutions in the country.
They also decided to seek an immediate audience with the Chief Minister and Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in order to apprise them about the situation. The VC’s said that they feel that university employees deserved to get a 20% increase in salary announced in the budget as is their right.
However they had not received the necessary funds and would take the issue directly to the relevant quarters and fight for the cause of their employees and students. For the time being, an annual increase cannot be extended to them because of the poor monetary position of the varsity, they said.
The meeting of KP Vice Chancellors, held at the University of Peshawar, was jointly chaired by VC, UoP Prof. Dr. Qibla Ayaz and VC, UET Imtiaz Gillani. The meeting was also attended by the VC of Islamia College University Prof. Dr. Noor Jehan; VC, KUST Nasir jamal Khattak; VC, Swat University, Prof. Dr. Jehanzeb; VC Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali, Abdul Wali Khan University; Syeda Farhana Jehangir, Benazir Women University Peshawar; VC Dr. Mansoor A. Kundi, Gomal University; Prof. Dr. Asmatullah Khan VC, Bannu University; Prof. Dr. Khan Bahadar Marwat Vice Chancellor KP Agricultural University Peshawar; Prof. Dr. Hafeezullah Vice Chancellor Khyber Medical University and Director IM Sciences, Prof. Dr. Mohsin.
All Vice Chancellors requested the provincial government to form a task force for the purpose of drawing a map and outline, for the establishment of a Higher Education Council to address the issues of higher education in the province, in the post 2014 scenario. They also requested the KP government to look into some of the authentic issues in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Model ACT-2012.