FY 2024-25: Pakistani govt reverses HEC’s budget cuts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central government has reversed a decision to slash the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) budget, restoring the recurring budget to Rs65 billion and the development budget to Rs55 billion, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said.

In a video statement, Ahmed welcomed the federal government’s move to reinstate the funding for the higher education sector for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Two weeks ago, the government had announced a reduction in the HEC’s budget from Rs65 billion to Rs25 billion, covering only federal area universities, whereas the previous budget also covered provincial universities.

Ahmed said that the academic community and teachers had raised concerns over the budget cuts, leading the HEC to appeal to both federal and provincial governments. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took note of the issue, acknowledging that the budget cut would impact millions of students facing financial difficulties.

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The government has since restored the HEC’s recurring budget to Rs65 billion and the development budget to Rs55 billion. Ahmed also urged provincial governments to increase their higher education funding, commending the Sindh government for raising its budget from Rs20 billion to Rs30 billion.

The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) also welcomed the budget restoration but argued that the increase is insufficient to address the financial crisis faced by universities. FAPUASA called for a substantial grant of Rs500 billion to rescue universities from severe economic conditions.

Initially, the HEC had requested Rs125 billion from the federal government. The budget was reduced to Rs25 billion before being restored to Rs65 billion, a figure that had been frozen since 2018.

FAPUASA vowed to continue advocating for a significant increase in the recurring grant and urged provincial governments to allocate more funds to higher education. The association announced peaceful demonstrations at press clubs across major cities on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Dr Shahid Munir has written to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, seeking increased funding for provincial universities for the fiscal year 2024-25.