HEC drags its feet on promotion of BPS lecturers

Shazia Mehboob

Islamabad: Thousands of faculty members in Pakistan’s public sector universities are facing prolonged career stagnation because of the absence of a clear promotion framework, with teachers’ associations accusing the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of failing to implement provisions governing their professional advancement.

Around 50,000 BPS teachers across 150 public sector universities are reportedly affected by the unresolved issue, which centres on Section 10(q) of the HEC Ordinance. The provision empowers the commission to prescribe minimum standards and qualifications for the appointment and promotion of university faculty.

Teachers’ representatives say the HEC has issued guidelines covering qualifications and standards for appointments but has failed to establish comparable regulations for promotions, leaving many faculty members unable to progress through their careers.

The impact is particularly visible among teachers who have spent more than a decade in the same positions despite obtaining higher qualifications and gaining extensive academic experience.

Dr Zeeshan, a Microbiology lecturer at Hazara University Mansehra, said he joined the university in 2006 after completing his PhD but remains in the same position.

Similarly, Sajid ul Ghafoor, an assistant professor of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, said he joined Hazara University in 2006 in BPS-19 and has remained an assistant professor despite more than 16 years of service.

Another lecturer, Ejaz Shah, said he joined the university in 2012 and has continued to work in the same cadre. He said the absence of a promotion mechanism leaves teachers with little option but to compete again whenever higher posts are advertised.

Years of meetings, no policy

The All Pakistan Universities BPS Teachers Association (APUBTA) says it has held at least 35 meetings with HEC officials in an effort to resolve the matter.

An agreement reached between HEC and APUBTA on March 10, 2022, reportedly set May 15 of the same year as the target for resolving the issue. However, the proposed policy has yet to be finalised.

The matter has subsequently appeared before several parliamentary forums.

The National Assembly Special Committee directed HEC to approve a promotion policy for public sector BPS teachers within a week. The issue was also discussed by the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education in August 2022, when the HEC chairman reportedly informed members that work on the matter was underway.

Further directives were issued by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education in January 2023 and the National Assembly Special Committee for Affected Employees in July 2023. Despite these interventions, teachers say no final policy has emerged.

Representatives of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA), APUBTA and HEC have also discussed draft promotion statutes, but teachers’ bodies say the process remains stalled.

FAPUASA KP chapter General Secretary Dr Zafar Hayat Khan alleged that HEC remains the main obstacle to finalising the policy. He said officials had acknowledged the issue during meetings but had failed to move the draft through the commission for approval and implementation.

Teachers threaten protest

The unresolved promotion issue is now generating renewed concern at Hazara University.

An emergency meeting of the Hazara University Academic Staff Association held on August 1 discussed the lack of career progression for BPS faculty and warned that lecturers could potentially spend their entire careers in the same cadre.

The association endorsed FAPUASA’s efforts and said affected teachers would join any protest announced by the federation against continued delays.

Teachers’ representatives argue that the absence of a promotion structure could also affect public universities’ ability to retain experienced faculty, as academics may increasingly consider moving to institutions offering clearer career progression.

The HEC has yet to provide a formal response to the allegations. HEC spokesperson Ayesha Ikram was contacted for comment and said she would respond, but no response had been received by the time of publication.

For the affected teachers, the dispute has now moved beyond promotion alone, with concerns growing over professional stagnation, retention of qualified academics and the overall impact on Pakistan’s public university system.