UoP teachers seek Rs1.5b bailout

The Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) has urged Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and University of Peshawar Chancellor Sohail Afridi to immediately approve a Rs1.5 billion emergency bailout package to address the university's deepening financial crisis.

In a letter to the Chief Minister and Chancellor, PUTA warned that the university is currently unable to pay salaries, pensions, and pension commutations, leaving teaching and administrative staff in severe financial distress. The association said the funding shortfall has also disrupted research activities, hampered academic performance, and strained administrative operations.

"If urgent measures are not taken, the university's academic reputation and institutional stability could suffer irreparable damage," PUTA stated. The association demanded the immediate release of the Rs1.5 billion package to settle employee dues and restore normal academic, research, and administrative functions.

It may be recalled that last week, the joint action committee of UoP teaching and non-teaching staff staged a protest against the non-payment of December salaries and pensions, accusing the provincial government of mismanaging the affairs of the province's leading higher education institution.

The committee, comprising office-bearers from PUTA, the administrative officers association, Class-III and Class-IV staff, and sanitation workers, held a general body meeting at the university administration block. Chaired by PUTA President Dr Zakirullah, the meeting unanimously passed a resolution declaring that the provincial government had failed to run the university's financial and administrative affairs efficiently.

The resolution further demanded that, in the larger interest of students and the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the university's administration be reverted to federal control which will effectively end the financial crisis as the provincial government has failed to allocate sufficient funds to higher education sector.