Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget: Protesting employees ask govt to allocate funds for universities

PESHAWAR: The University Employees Grand Alliance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, demanding that the provincial government to allocate funds for public universities in the upcoming budget.

Several teaching and non-teaching staff from various organizations participated in the protest, including the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) KP Chapter, the Federation of All Public Sector Universities Administrative Officers Association, and the All Pakistan Universities Employees Federation KP Chapter.

Dr Dilnawaz, President of the University Employees Grand Alliance KP, Arbab Amir Khusro, President of the Universities Employees Federation KP, Dr. Feroz Shah, President of the Engineering University Teachers Association, Dr Zakirullah Jan, President of Puta, and Imdad Khan, President of the Class-IV Employees Association of the University of Peshawar attended the protest.

Addressing the gathering, speakers noted that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, higher education had become a provincial subject, making it the constitutional and moral responsibility of the provincial governments to support their universities financially.

They highlighted that while Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan had fulfilled this obligation by providing financial assistance to their universities, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had yet to make any such decision. As a result, public universities in the province were now on the verge of collapse, they added.

“If immediate financial aid is not provided, the burden will fall on students and their families, who are already grappling with inflation and unemployment,” they warned. “Soaring fees, lack of educational facilities, and the deteriorating infrastructure will deprive our youth of access to higher education.”