ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Friday directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to prepare a comprehensive report identifying gaps in the current system, faculty turnover trends, and actionable recommendations for restructuring the pay scales in line with national priorities and fiscal realities.

He passed the said directive while chairing the sixth meeting of the task force on pay scale reform aimed at attracting and retaining top talent in Pakistan’s higher education sector.

The meeting reviewed progress on proposals to modernise the pay structure of public universities, making it more competitive and aligned with international benchmarks while ensuring sustainability, according to a press release issued by the Planning Commission.

It said that the meeting was attended in person by Prof Dr Anwar ul Hasan Gillani, Consultant Quality Assurance at the HEC; Dr Mazhar Saeed, Executive Director

HEC; Dr Najibullah Marwat, Member Science & Technology from Planning Ministry and the Assistant Chief S&T from Planning Ministry.

Representatives from the higher education and finance departments of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa joined the session virtually.

The HEC presented key observations on the challenges faced by universities, including financial constraints and difficulty retaining qualified faculty due to uncompetitive salaries.

The minister reiterated the task force’s mandate to recommend a sustainable, market-aligned pay model to improve the quality of education, strengthen research, and attract world-class academic professionals.

He directed the HEC to prepare a comprehensive report identifying gaps in the current system, faculty turnover trends, and actionable recommendations for restructuring the pay scales.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025