BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) has started the recruitment of 600 college teaching interns (CTIs) against the same number of vacant posts of lecturers in 66 boys and girls colleges in the three districts of Bahawalpur division that include Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan.

This was revealed by Bahawalpur Division Director Colleges Dr Sharafat Ali while talking to Dawn.

The director colleges said that presently there were 577 posts of professors (20), associate professors (55), assistant professors (168) and lecturers (334) lying vacant in the 66 colleges of the division.

To meet the demand of the teaching staff, the government had decided to hire as many 600 CTIs for 66 colleges until regular appointments by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) could be made in Bahawalpur division. He said that the process was expected to be completed by next month and each CTI would be paid a monthly honorarium of Rs65,000.

Dr Sharafat said that three new colleges, one each at Taranda Swaya Khan (women), Jajja Abbasia and Minthar (boys) in Rahim Yar Khan district had been opened and admissions had also been started there.

To a question, he confirmed that in pursuance of the decision of the HED, the college directorate had handed over the possession of the newly-constructed state-of-the-art building of the College of Home Economics for Women in Bahawalpur to the Government Sadiq College Women (GSCWU) University, Bahawalpur.

The building will now serve as the varsity’s new campus.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025