Concern over proposed cut in HEC budget

LAHORE:Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Punjab chapter has expressed serious concern over the proposed cut in the budget of the Higher Education Commission from Rs65 billion to Rs30 billion.

In a joint statement, FAPUASA Punjab president Prof Dr Azhar Naeem, Vice-President Dr Ahtisham Ali, General Secretary Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, and Punjab University Academic Staff Association Secretary Dr Abbas Khan Magsi demanded immediate withdrawal of about 55 percent reduction in budget from the government and said that the previous government had frozen the recurring budget but converted many colleges of Punjab into universities because the budget of all the universities was directly affected.

Similarly, they said, the government deprived the university faculty and staff of the arrears of disparity allowance with a single notification. The executive body demanded that if the government did not reconsider its policy vis-à-vis budget, FAPUASA Punjab would take the other stakeholders into confidence and launch a protest movement.