Academic and administrative staff at one of Pakistan's premier institutions, the University of Peshawar, have issued a desperate plea for the federal government to assume control of the university. This unprecedented demand stems from a severe and protracted financial crisis, where the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial government has failed to disburse salaries and pensions for several months.
A Crisis of Survival for University Employees
The situation at the university has reached a breaking point. Employees, including professors, lecturers, and administrative personnel, have not received their regular salaries. Even more critically, pension payments to retired staff have been halted. This financial paralysis has pushed hundreds of families into economic distress, making it difficult for them to meet basic needs like food, healthcare, and education for their children.
In a powerful demonstration of their frustration, the university's employees staged a protest rally on the campus premises. They carried placards and chanted slogans, demanding immediate action from both provincial and federal authorities. The protest highlighted the deep-seated anxiety and anger among the staff, who feel abandoned by the very government body responsible for their welfare.
The Core Demand: Federal Intervention
The central and most striking demand emerging from this turmoil is the call for the university to be handed over to the federal government. The staff, represented by their unions and associations, argue that the KP provincial administration has consistently proven incapable of managing the university's financial affairs. They believe that only federal oversight can ensure the regular and timely release of funds for salaries, pensions, and essential operational costs.
The protesters have explicitly warned that if their demands are not met promptly, they will be forced to escalate their agitation. This could include measures like a complete strike, which would bring all academic and administrative activities at the historic university to a standstill, affecting thousands of students.
Broader Implications for Higher Education in Pakistan
This crisis at the University of Peshawar is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a larger malaise affecting public sector universities across Pakistan, particularly in provinces facing fiscal constraints. Chronic underfunding and delays in subsidy releases from provincial governments have become a common theme, threatening the quality and very survival of public higher education.
The standoff raises serious questions about governance and priority-setting. When a leading center of learning like the University of Peshawar struggles to pay its staff, it reflects a systemic failure that jeopardizes the future of education and research in the region. The staff's demand for federal control is a direct indictment of the provincial government's management and a plea for stability.
As the deadlock continues, all eyes are on the KP government and federal authorities in Islamabad. The resolution of this crisis will set a significant precedent for how similar financial disputes in other provincial universities are handled. The immediate need is to release the pending funds to alleviate the suffering of employees. However, the long-term solution requires a sustainable and reliable financing model for public universities to prevent such crises from recurring and to safeguard the intellectual capital of the nation.
