—— Condemns freezing of HEC budget
—— Neglect of TTS Salary Revision
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: A joint statement issued by Prof. Mazhar Iqbal (President), Prof. Akhtiar Ali Ghumro (Vice President), and Mr. Fareed Achakzai (General Secretary) of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has strongly rejected the Federal Budget 2025-26. They have expressed serious concerns over the continued freezing of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) recurring grant at Rs. 65 billion, an amount that has remained unchanged since 2018, and the ongoing neglect of Tenure Track System (TTS) faculty salaries, which have not been revised since 2021.
The FAPUASA leadership highlighted that the stagnant allocation is highly insufficient to meet the rapidly increasing financial needs of the higher education sector. Since 2018, the number of universities and student enrollments has increased significantly, while inflation, utility charges, and operational expenditures have continued to rise sharply. Despite these realities, the government has failed to provide the additional funding required to sustain universities, placing severe financial strain on institutions across the country.
FAPUASA has repeatedly demanded that the HEC budget be increased to at least Rs. 200 billion in order to maintain academic standards, promote quality education, and support critical research activities essential for national progress.
In addition, the association strongly criticized the government’s persistent ally ignoring TTS faculty members, whose salaries have remained frozen since 2021. While Basic Pay Scale (BPS) salaries have been cumulatively increased by more than 100% during this period, no corresponding revision has been made in the TTS salary structure. This widening gap is creating serious disparities and demoralizing highly qualified faculty, threatening the retention and morale of faculty serving under the TTS.
The FAPUASA leadership further noted that while the government has announced salary increases of up to 40% for government employees in the latest budget, universities have not been provided with additional funds to meet these salary obligations, further escalating the financial crisis in the higher education sector.
FAPUASA strongly urges the government to reconsider and revise the Federal Budget 2025-26 and adequately address these critical issues in the Finance Bill. Failure to act will severely undermine Pakistan’s higher education system and negatively impact the country’s long-term socio-economic development.
