• Chief secretary says summary will be sent to Sindh cabinet to increase age of superannuation from 60 to 65
• Reviews issues of public sector universities in meeting with vice chancellors
• Discourages unnecessary recruitment to contain growing financial burden
KARACHI: The Sindh government is considering enhancing the retirement age of professors in public sector universities across the province from 60 to 65.
The information was shared by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah during a meeting with the vice chancellors of 32 public sector universities here on Friday.
The meeting, chaired by the chief secretary, was convened to review the overall performance of universities and discuss the financial, administrative, academic and infrastructure-related challenges being faced by higher education institutions across the province.
A press statement issued after the meeting quoted the chief secretary as telling the participants of the meeting that the provincial government would consider increasing the retirement age of university professors from 60 to 65 years.
It said a summary in this regard would be sent to the provincial cabinet.
During the meeting, the vice chancellors pointed out that the universities were facing difficulties in retaining qualified teachers as private universities were offering higher salaries to experienced faculty members.
They also highlighted issues pertaining to financial constraints, faculty and human resource, campus infrastructure and development schemes, governance and administrative affairs, student welfare, scholarships, transport and accommodation, digitalisation, electricity costs, pension and salary liabilities, etc.
They briefed the chief secretary on the challenges confronting their respective institutions and highlighted their requirements for improving academic standards, research, infrastructure and student services.
‘Sindh providing Rs44bn grant to varsities’
The chief secretary said the Sindh government was fully aware of the issues faced by public sector universities and wanted to work with the vice chancellors to develop practical solutions.
“The government is providing Rs44.46 billion as grant-in-aid to universities, which is higher than any other province,” he said, adding that pension liabilities and electricity bills were consuming a major share of the hefty grant.
He stressed the need to discourage unnecessary recruitment, particularly in non-faculty positions, to contain the growing financial burden.
He asked the universities to work towards reducing their electricity expenditure and announced a solarisation programme for public sector universities.
The chief secretary also called for greater engagement of university alumni in institutional development and said universities should develop stronger linkages with their alumni networks.
He encouraged vice chancellors to bring research proposals to the government so that appropriate support could be considered.
He said the provincial government would also approach the federal government regarding issues faced by universities that fell within the jurisdiction of the federal authorities.
Discussing the expansion of university campuses, the chief secretary said universities should conduct proper research and feasibility assessments before establishing new campuses. “A comprehensive policy and clear benchmarks should be developed to determine whether a proposed new campus would have sufficient student enrolment and academic viability,” he said.
The vice chancellors said universities were taking measures to maintain law and order on campuses and prevent drug use among students.
They also called for support to attract international students and said assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant federal institutions would be required to promote Pakistani universities interna assessments before establishing new campuses. “A comprehensive policy and clear benchmarks should be developed to determine whether a proposed new campus would have sufficient student enrolment and academic viability,” he said.
The vice chancellors said universities were taking measures to maintain law and order on campuses and prevent drug use among students.
They also called for support to attract international students and said assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant federal institutions would be required to promote Pakistani universities internationally.
The meeting discussed the potential use of public-private partnerships for university development projects.
The chief secretary said the challenges facing universities required coordinated efforts by the provincial government, university administrations and relevant federal institutions.
He said the government would continue consultations with vice chancellors to address issues affecting the performance, financial sustainability and academic development of public sector universities in Sindh.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026
