ISLAMABAD - The Finance Ministry released Rs 2 billion to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Friday against Rs 11 billion of the fourth quarter of outgoing financial year on the directives of the Prime Minister.
Federal Minister for Professional & Technical Training Sheikh Waqqas Akram met with the Prime Minister and expressed his concerns over the non-release of funds to HEC. After the detailed discussion with Federal Minister, the Prime Minister ordered Ministry of Finance to immediately release Rs 4.6 billion to HEC, according to the statement issued by the ministry.
The Minister informed the Prime Minister that salaries of professors and lower staff had been stopped due to stalled funds of HEC. More so it was briefed to the Prime Minister that due to non-issuing of funds 10,000 overseas PhD scholars and graduates would be affected and all other overseas projects would be jeopardised.
It was also informed that 74 public sectors universities were likely to be affected due to stalled grant of HEC. The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Finance for the immediate release of funds to HEC and after the direction of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance has released Rs. 2.00 billion.
Meanwhile, the Federation of all Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has expressed great concern over the delay and non-implementation over the directives of the Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf for releasing all the outstanding dues of the public sector universities.
President of FAPUASA Kaleem Ullah Bareach, vice president Zahid Majeed and presidents of all provinces of FAPUASA have shared their concern that only Rs 2 billion have been released against the 11 billion which is not enough and no money has been released in the head of development budget. The FAPUASA representatives further appealed that the president and prime minister are expected to take interests in resolving the other issues faced by universities. They have strongly appealed that the all the 11 terminated faculty members of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Benazir Abad (SBBU,SBA), Nawabshah Sindh, should be reinstated immediately and the controversial Vice Chancellor of University of Sindh, Jamshoro, should be removed and a VCs should be appointed according to the HEC criteria. The FAPUASA also strongly condemned the show-cause notice issued to the Vice Chancellor of Gomal University.
and demanded its immediate withdrawal. The FAPUASA representatives have further affirmed that the scheduled protests will be continued till the restoration of the all faculty members of SBBU,SBA and the removal of the controversial VC of Sindh university.