Employees of the University of Turbat held a protest on Friday, urging the federal and provincial governments to address the financial problems affecting public universities in Balochistan.
The protest was organized by the Academic Staff Association of the University of Turbat, following a central call from the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA).
The demonstration was sparked by a recent letter from the Ministry of Finance to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad, proposing a reduction in the recurring budget for public universities nationwide from 65 billion rupees to just 25 billion rupees.
Protesters also highlighted the provincial government’s neglect of the financial crisis facing Balochistan’s public universities and the absence of an HEC office in the province.
Protesters carried placards with slogans such as “Establish Provincial HEC,” “Increase University Budgets in Provincial Educational Budget,” “End Financial Crisis in Universities,” and “Save Universities, Save Education.”
The protesters appealed to the federal and provincial governments to take serious and practical steps to resolve the financial crisis in all public universities in Balochistan.
They stressed that such measures are essential to prevent universities from falling into a financial abyss and to maintain high standards of education.
“Reducing university funds instead of increasing them is outright hostility to education, which is unacceptable under any circumstances,” said one of the protest leaders.
The Academic Staff Association of the University of Turbat emphasized that the progress and prosperity of nations depend on being equipped with educational tools provided by institutions.
They warned that the closure of these institutions would lead to national decline and regression, resulting in widespread issues and negative impacts on society.
The association demanded that the federal and provincial governments address the issues facing universities and implement practical solutions to resolve them.