After 13 years of PTI rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, serious concerns are emerging about the state of higher education in the province. Despite repeated claims of an “educational emergency,” the University of Peshawar, once a leading academic institution, is now reportedly struggling to stay afloat.
In a recent development, the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) has written to the Chief Minister, warning that many of the government’s reform claims exist only on paper and do not reflect ground realities.
The university, which has served the province for 75 years, is now witnessing its employees endure severe mental and financial stress due to unpaid salaries and pensions.
The partial payment of salaries in March and the withholding of pensions amounting to Rs 162 million are clear signs of deep-rooted administrative failure under a government that has been in power for over a decade.
It is mentioned in a written letter that government policies, particularly the reduction of grants to universities and the push for so-called financial autonomy, have forced teachers to protest in the streets.
On one hand, millions are reportedly being spent on political publicity; on the other, the empty coffers of educational institutions raise serious questions about the government’s priorities. PUTA has demanded an immediate grant of Rs 4 billion from the Chief Minister, along with the urgent restoration of the pension fund.
If, after thirteen years in power, the province’s largest university stands on the brink of bankruptcy, this cannot be called systemic reform sit is, instead, a stark example of educational decline.
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