Karachi (Special Report by media Hyde )
Several universities across Pakistan are facing a severe financial crisis. Many higher education institutions are unable to pay salaries to their employees, while retired staff are still waiting for gratuity and pensions. In such dire circumstances, the federal government’s decision to utilize £190 million (approximately PKR 60 billion) to establish a new “Danish University” has drawn criticism from academia and civil society.
It is important to note that this money was recovered from Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz during the previous PTI government and was later transferred back to the national treasury following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The recent decision to spend these funds on launching a new university instead of supporting the struggling education sector has sparked serious questions.
Universities such as Quaid-e-Azam University, Punjab University, University of Karachi, Federal Urdu University, University of Balochistan, and many others are suffering due to lack of resources. Hundreds of lecturers, professors, and non-teaching staff remain unpaid for months. Pensioners are fighting legal battles, protesting in press club and Governor house for their dues. Research projects, laboratory upgrades, and infrastructure development have come to a halt.
A senior retired faculty member commented:
“When existing universities are dying, when teachers are without salaries and pensioners are running from pillar to post for their rights, then building a new university is not only irresponsible but wasteful.”
Teachers’ unions and education experts have demanded that the recovered amount should be used to revive the current universities, clear pension dues, improve research and labs, and strengthen the teaching force across the country.
The government must take the educational crisis seriously and ensure transparent and just utilization of public funds. A country that claims education as a key to progress must first protect and strengthen its existing institutions rather than launching new, symbolic projects for political gain.
