The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has called on the country’s top leadership to take immediate steps to address what it describes as a growing crisis in Pakistan’s higher education sector, warning that prolonged financial constraints and unresolved faculty issues are undermining academic excellence and research development.
In an open letter addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, and Federal Minister for Finance, the representative body of university teachers and researchers from public sector universities highlighted a range of financial and administrative challenges confronting universities across the country.
FAPUASA Federal Chapter President Prof Dr Aamir Ali said the higher education sector requires urgent government attention, as universities are facing mounting difficulties that are adversely affecting research productivity, faculty retention, academic standards, and institutional performance.
The association stressed the need for a substantial increase in the budget allocation for the Higher Education Commission (HEC), noting that the higher education budget has remained unchanged at Rs65 billion since the 2017-18 fiscal year despite a significant increase in the number of public sector universities. According to FAPUASA, enhanced recurring and development funding is essential to strengthen research activities, scholarship programmes, laboratories, and academic infrastructure.
The association also urged the government to immediately approve and notify the long-awaited salary revision for faculty members serving under the Tenure Track System (TTS), in line with the formula previously agreed upon by relevant stakeholders. It further called for comprehensive death benefits and social protection measures for TTS faculty members to ensure financial security for their families.
FAPUASA also demanded the restoration of tax rebates for university teachers and researchers, arguing that educators play a critical role in national development, research, and human resource advancement. The association pointed out that the tax rebate available to university teachers had been gradually reduced from 75 percent to 40 percent in 2013, then to 25 percent in 2019, before being abolished altogether in 2025.
Another key demand raised in the letter was the implementation of a uniform promotion policy for faculty members working under the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system in universities nationwide. FAPUASA noted that although the Higher Education Commission circulated a BPS promotion policy in 2022 after consultation with stakeholders, its implementation has yet to be finalized.
Related: FAPUASA Demands Immediate TTS Salary Revision
The association maintained that investment in higher education and academic human resources is vital for Pakistan’s scientific progress, technological advancement, economic stability, and sustainable development. It warned that rising inflation, increasing taxation, funding shortages, and delays in policy decisions have created uncertainty and frustration among university teachers and researchers, calling for immediate government intervention to safeguard the future of higher education in the country.
