KARACHI, June 10: As many as 66 public sector universities across the country are still awaiting the release of quarter-yearly funds by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The funds were supposed to be released in April and the inordinate delay is causing concern among the varsities’ administrations.

The secretary of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (KUTS), Dr Abid Hasnain, said it was rumoured that the HEC had stopped the funds due to the non-utilisation of development funds.

However, explaining the reason for the delay in the release of the funds, HEC Chairman Dr Attaur Rehman told Dawn that it was mainly due to the financial crisis being faced by the government and had nothing to do with the non-utilisation of the development funds. He said that the quarter-yearly funds would be released within three to four days.

The secretary of the Federation of All Pakistan University Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), Badar Soomro, accusing the HEC of harassing the universities in the public sector said that over the years such actions taken by the Higher Education Commission had badly affected the overall performance of the universities.

He said that if the funds were not released soon, the FAPUASA would directly hold talks with the government to settle the issue.