**Quaid-i-Azam University Employees Demand Rs. 5 Billion Emergency Bailout Amid Severe Financial Crisis**
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), often regarded as one of Pakistan’s premier higher education institutions, is facing a critical financial meltdown that has jeopardized the livelihoods of employees and retirees, and, stakeholders warn, could compromise the university’s very survival without urgent government support.
This escalating crisis came to light during a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, chaired by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt. During the session, representatives from various staff welfare associations delivered an urgent appeal for immediate state intervention, warning that the university is teetering on the edge of collapse.
According to a written statement submitted by university employees, the financial turmoil has persisted for more than three years, leaving hundreds of retirees without their gratuity payments and unable to cover essential expenses, such as family weddings. The university has also suspended indoor and outdoor medical services for nearly two years, with overtime payments and salaries, particularly for staff involved in the BS Evening Program, going unpaid. General Provident (GP) funds have been withheld, and a lack of house rent subsidies has resulted in staff facing harassment from landlords. Compounding these issues, a 25% salary increase announced in the federal budget remains unimplemented, and the latest fiscal plan does not offer any increase at all.
Employee representatives, including Iftikhar Ahmed Kayani (General Secretary) and Sajjad Ali (Vice President) of the Employees Welfare Association, pressed the committee to approve an emergency bailout of at least Rs. 5 billion. They warned that without this lifeline to cover pensions, salaries, and other overdue entitlements, university staff would continue to face mounting despair, mental health challenges, and in some cases, suicidal thoughts. Stressing that each employee supports an extended household, they further called for sustainable funding tied to inflation and escalating utility costs.
Rashid Mehmood Abbasi, President of the Officers Welfare Association, pointed out that the university has not seen a meaningful increase in its budget for the past five years. This, he claimed, has led to dire outcomes, with some staff members even passing away before receiving their rightful gratuity. Previous appeals to the Ministry of Education have not yielded any concrete action, with officials insisting that the Vice Chancellor must first present their perspective before the matter proceeds.
Dr. Anzar Satti, General Secretary of the Officers Welfare Association, disclosed that QAU is currently operating under a deficit of Rs. 2 billion. He suggested that a bailout of Rs. 2.5 billion could help stabilize the university’s finances and pave the way for recovery. Dr. Satti also advocated for new research and academic initiatives under public-private partnerships to generate additional revenue and reduce the risk of similar crises in the future.
The staff associations have sounded a stark warning: if immediate and decisive action is not taken, the unraveling of Quaid-i-Azam University could have devastating consequences for Pakistan’s higher education sector as a whole. With the institution’s future hanging in the balance, faculty and staff are urgently calling on the government to intervene before the situation reaches the point of no return.
