QUETTA: Vice chancellors of public sector universities in Balochistan have expressed concern over the Higher Education Commission’s decision to slash funds for the varsities, saying the move will put the future of students in the province at stake.

No funds will be available to meet expenditures of universities after the current fiscal year, said the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences vice chancellor, Dr Khalid Hafeez, while presiding over a meeting to review the financial situation of the institution.

The emergency meeting, attended by the vice chancellors of all public sector universities in the province, observed that in the wake of the HEC’s decision, the dream of higher education in Balochistan would remain unfulfilled and the future of education seemed bleak.

“The recent HEC decision to cut funding for universities in the province has created a major problem for these institutions,” Mr Hafeez said.

Provincial Secretary of Higher Education and Colleges Hafiz Tahir and Junior Political Secretary to the Governor Attaur Rehman also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024