‘Education Jirga’: 4% of GDP for education, greater autonomy for varsities sought

PESHAWAR: The ‘Educational Jirga’ here on Thursday called for allocating at least four percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to education and demanded greater financial and administrative autonomy for universities in accordance with the 18th constitutional provisions.

The jirga was jointly organised by the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Coordination Council. Leaders of various political parties, academics, civil society members, former vice-chancellors, retired university staff, parents, students and media representatives attended the gathering in large numbers.

Convened under the leadership PUTA president Dr Zakirullah Jan, the jirga was addressed by Mian Iftikhar Hussain from Awami National Party, Inayatullah Khan and Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami, Amanullah Haqqani and Abdul Jalil Jan from JUIF, Sikandar Khan Sherpao from Qaumi Watan Party, Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, former vice-chancellors Dr Ihsan Ali, Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, Dr Noor Jehan, Razia Sultana, Dr Qibla Ayaz, Dr Noor Muhammad and former PUTA president Dr Jamil Ahmad Chitrali in three extensive sessions.

In a unanimous resolution, the jirga stressed that universities should be made subject to accountability, but such oversight must be conducted by an independent review committee composed of credible experts in higher education.

The forum questioned the legitimacy of the Federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) in light of the 18th Constitutional Amendment under which education has been devolved to provinces. Citing both constitutional grounds and international concerns, the jirga demanded the establishment of a fully empowered and financially stable Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Commission.

“We acknowledge the existing shortcomings within universities and commit to addressing them through internal accountability mechanisms. However, we reject the commercialization of education. It is not a product for profit but a national and social responsibility,” the resolution stated.

The jirga also raised concerns over delayed salaries and pensions of universities’ serving and retired employees. The participants pointed out that while employees in other government institutions receive timely payments, university staff are often left in financial uncertainty. “This discriminatory treatment has demoralized the academic community and discouraged youth from pursuing careers in higher education,” Dr Ihsan Ali said.

The jirga warned that neglecting higher education could lead to increased unemployment, social unrest, mental health issues and crime among the youth.Expressing disappointment over the absence of government representatives - despite being formally invited - the jirga affirmed that this was only the beginning of a broader initiative to build a constructive narrative around higher education and university reform.

The jirga also endorsed the right of students to form unions, referencing a recent Supreme Court decision. It called for the creation of student unions that promote academic and research engagement while maintaining safeguards to avoid the pitfalls of past political interference.

The jirga also demanded time-scale promotions for university faculty and proposed the merger of the Tenure Track System (TTS) and the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) to create a more unified and equitable career structure for academic staff.

“This is the first step in a long journey towards transforming higher education in Pakistan. We will continue our efforts to engage with all stakeholders, including the government, until our voices are heard and acted upon,” Dr Noor Mohammad said.