FAPUASA Demands Govt Action Over Balochistan Varsity Teachers’ Unpaid Salaries

News Desk 

Islamabad: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has raised serious concerns about the non-payment of salaries to teachers at Balochistan University and has called on the government to address the higher education sector’s issues as a priority.

FAPUASA Central President Dr Amjad Magsi expressed alarm over the initiation of a hunger strike by Balochistan University teachers due to delayed salaries.

He criticized the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for its inability to address the severe crisis facing universities across the country.

Dr Magsi pointed out that while the HEC’s budget remains frozen at 65 billion rupees, the Chairman of the HEC has initiated the construction of a new HEC Secretariat with a multi-billion-rupee budget.

He argued that the HEC’s primary role should be to address the problems of higher education institutions and resolve issues such as the stagnant salaries of TTS teachers and the service structure for BPS teachers.

FAPUASA General Secretary Dr Uzair Ahmad added that universities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are facing similar economic and administrative challenges.

He warned that teachers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa might also resort to hunger strikes if their issues are not addressed. Dr Ahmad criticized the HEC Chairman for allocating development funds to the new secretariat instead of resolving the problems affecting teachers.

FAPUASA has urged the provincial governments to establish provincial higher education commissions with administrative and financial autonomy to address local university issues more effectively.

Dr Magsi specifically called on the Balochistan government to resolve the salary issue promptly to end the hunger strike by university teachers.

He warned that the ongoing protest could cast a shadow over the entire education system of the country if not resolved immediately.