Pakistani universities go on strike

ISLAMABAD - The academic scene in Pakistan’s state-run universities came to a standstill Wednesday as the faculty and students went on a strike to protest the reduction in funds.

There was no academic activity in the universities Wednesday and thousands of students and teachers took out rallies to press for their demands.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC), the supervisory body of public sector universities in Pakistan, was created in 2001 during the regime of former president Pervez Musharraf and it was agreed then to raise the budget for the education sector to four percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The public sector universities were assured substantial fund for development of infrastructure, human resource, enhancing salary of faculty members, scholarships for students, launching of new academic programmes and research initiatives.

Following the yearly increase, the HEC budget, which was less than Rs.1 billion in 2001, was raised to Rs.22 billion in the last fiscal year. However, only 50 percent of this amount was released. During the current financial year, the HEC received only about 20 percent of the allocated fund.

Following the devastating floods in the country, the government decided to discontinue all new development schemes and the same was conveyed to the HEC as well.

Flash floods devastated infrastructure in the last couple of months and the requirement for rehabilitation is estimated at $43 billion.

HEC Director Mukhtar Ahmad said the budget was first revised to Rs.16 billion while the commission has received only Rs.8.2 billion.

He said the budgetary cut has cramped the body for fund and it was unable to pay for the scholarship of students. The universities in turn are also in a spot because they have expressed inability to even pay salaries to the faculty and staff members.

The vice-chancellors of all 72 public sector universities of Pakistan gathered in Islamabad a few days ago and gave an ultimatum to restore the fund or face closure of the universities from Sep 22 onwards.

“We have no other way out but to exercise this option in order to highlight the gravity of the situation,” they said.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has formed a three-member committee headed by Planning Commission deputy chairman Nadeem-ul-Haq to resolve the issue.

The parleys, however, did not yield any result in the last couple of days and the administration in all the universities went on strike for an indefinite period.

“More than 2,000 students enrolled in universities on scholarships would be the hardest hit with this situation,” said Punjab Academic Staff Association president Zafar Noon, who also vowed to continue the protest till the fulfilment of demands.