The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology, chaired by Senator Kamil Ali Agha, met at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad to discuss measures aimed at widening access and addressing campus infrastructure concerns. The delegation included Senators Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Husna Bano and Muhammad Aslam Abro, and received a detailed briefing from Dr. Muhammad Zahid Latif, Rector NUST.
NUST highlighted its growth since 1991, offering 168 degree programs across seven disciplines to roughly 20,000 students supported by 1,296 faculty members, of whom 68 percent hold PhDs, 47 percent are foreign qualified and 29 percent are female. The Rector noted the university’s standing in the QS World Rankings for 2025–2026 where NUST is ranked sixth in South Asia, 67th in Asia and 371st globally, and reiterated that the Board of Governors remains the principal governing authority.
Committee members reviewed regional student composition and expressed concern at the skewed representation, with 61.02 percent of students from Punjab and smaller shares from other provinces. The Rector explained that admissions are merit-based and that NUST administers entry tests nationwide and provides more than 1,000 scholarships for families earning below Rs. 40,000 to help improve access for underprivileged students.
Financial sustainability emerged as a central issue. The Rector disclosed that NUST’s annual government allocation of Rs. 4 billion is far below expenditures exceeding Rs. 12 billion, which include a roughly Rs. 1 billion yearly electricity bill. These constraints have limited competitive pay and contributed to rising faculty resignations. The Balochistan campus faces an annual shortfall of Rs. 30 million, and scholarships pledged by the Government of Balochistan for 200 students remain unpaid.
To address these gaps, the committee urged steps supporting NUST expansion, directing officials to summon the Chief Secretary Balochistan and the head of the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund to resolve pending scholarship payments. The committee also recommended that NUST arrange preparatory classes for students from provinces with weaker educational standards to enhance their prospects in entry tests.
Concerned about student welfare and campus capacity, the Senate panel recommended that NUST submit a proposal for new girls’ hostels to be considered in the next Public Sector Development Programme. The Rector cautioned that funding constraints will determine the pace of construction and called for timely PSDP inclusion to proceed.
The committee also took up infrastructure and environmental issues after being informed that sewerage water from adjacent areas runs through university grounds. A sub-committee was formed to work with the Capital Development Authority on resolving sewerage flow, ensuring reliable water supply, clarifying land lease and usage, and expediting construction NOCs to protect campus integrity and support planned NUST expansion.
