LAHORE: A delegation of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA), Punjab chapter, on Saturday called on Punjab Minister for School and Higher Education Rana Skindar Hayat to ask him to intervene for redress of issues being faced by the university teachers in the province.

The delegation included Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) President Prof Dr Amjad Abbas Khan Magsi and FAPUASA Punjab President and PUASA Secretary Dr Muhammad Islam.

The delegation urged the minister to address several urgent concerns in the upcoming provincial budget (June 16, 2025). The main concern was related to the increase in the funding for universities where the delegation demanded a significant enhancement in the recurring grant (at least Rs50bn) for public universities as it is impossible to sustain operations and academic quality without sufficient economic resources.

The delegation highlighted that the Sindh government, despite having a lesser volume of budget and number of universities as compared to Punjab, had enhanced a substantial budget for its universities. It also demanded that there should also be a substantial increase in salaries of government employees and Disparity Reduction Allowance on the pattern of the federal government.

The delegation urged the financial and administrative autonomy of the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) as safeguarding the autonomy of higher education institutions was vital for academic freedom and institutional integrity.

The delegation reminded the minister about implementation of 15pc Disparity Reduction Allowance 2022 for university teachers and employees but this right had been denied to the university teachers of Punjab since 2022.

The delegation raised the matter of the reversal of recent changes to pension and leave encashment rules, which adversely affected the financial security of the employees.

The minister promised to enhance the recurring grants substantially for the universities in the coming budget, which would be elevated further in the coming years. He also assured of a healthy pay increase in the budget and his full support in safeguarding the autonomy of higher education institutions. He also promised to consider the issues for its possible solutions.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2025