MARDAN: Provincial Minister for Food Zahir Shah Khan Toru on Saturday paid rich tribute to Lieutenant Daniyal, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists in Waziristan two days ago.

The martyred officer hailed from Hajiabad Bajauru Korona in Toru Mairah. The minister visited his residence and met with his family to offer condolence.

The minister said that Lt Daniyal embraced martyrdom while defending the motherland and his sacrifice was a matter of immense pride for the entire nation. “The nation is proud of its brave sons, who are sacrificing their lives for peace and security of Pakistan. The sacrifices of our martyrs will never go in vain,” he added.

He said that Lt Daniyal was a courageous and devoted young officer, whose martyrdom brought honour not only to his family but to the entire country.

MEETING: The 31st meeting of finance and planning committee of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM) was held on Saturday with Vice-chancellor Prof Jamil Ahmad in the chair.

The committee reviewed revised estimates for current financial year and budget estimates for the upcoming fiscal. Key agenda items included procurement of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions in line with Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines and enforcing e-filing system at the university.

The committee deliberated on allocating funds for solarisation and examined revenue streams, including HEC grants, provincial government grants and university’s own revenue.

The meeting also addressed the financial challenges faced by the university, particularly pension liabilities and explored potential revenue models to mitigate these issues. The committee approved revised endowment fund rules of the university.

The forum recommended restructuring of faculty composition by abolishing 100 posts of lecturers to create 35 posts of professors and 15 posts of associate professors.

The meeting unanimously recommended revised estimates of Rs2,794 million for current financial year and budget estimates of Rs3,220 million for financial year 2025-26. These recommendations are meant to ensure the university’s financial sustainability and support its academic and administrative objectives.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2025