Pakistan: VCs of public sector universities in Balochistan express concern over HEC's decision to slash funds

Balochistan [Pakistan], June 1 (ANI): Vice-chancellors of public sector universities in Pakistan's Balochistan have raised concern over the Higher Education Commission's (HEC) decision to slash funds for the universities, stressing that the move will put the future of students in the province at stake, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
The Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences vice chancellor, Khalid Hafeez, said that no funds will be available to meet expenditures of universities are the current fiscal year. He made the remarks while presiding over a meeting attended by the vice chancellor of all public sector universities in Balochistan to review the financial situation of the institution.
The vice-chancellors of all public sector universities of Balochistan stated that the dream of higher education would remain unfulfilled and the future of education appeared bleak considering the HEC's decision, according to Dawn report.
Hafeez said, "The recent HEC decision to cut funding for universities in the province has created a major problem for these institutions."
The meeting was also attended by Provincial Secretary of Higher Education and Colleges Hafiz Tahir and Junior Political Secretary to the Governor Attaur Rehman, Dawn reported.
Earlier in May, the students, teachers, and employees of the Balochistan University of Quetta held protests over the non-payment of salaries and administrative irregularities, reported The Balochistan Post.
The protests were held at the entry gate of the university premises and led by the Joint Action Committee of Balochistan University reportedly continued for over 70 days. The protesting employees have raised complaints that the financial crisis of the university has led to the non-payment of their salaries and pensions, continuing for a very long time.
In addition, the protestors also demanded that the university administration provide them with a permanent resolution to the problem and compensate the protestors for what they have lost. The protestors also demanded that the university be allocated at least PKR 10 billion in the upcoming annual budget and an additional PKR five billion to pay the endowment funds
Earlier in April, the employees of the same university carried out a march on different roads of Pakistan's Quetta and staged a sit-in protest over the non-payment of their salary for the past four months. (ANI)