Karachi:
Despite the worsening of the financial crisis of Pakistan and the growing fiscal deficits in public universities, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) continues to approve general expenses using public funds. In its last movement, the HAH has issued letters to the viceciltarers and rectors of public sector universities throughout the country, inviting them to attend a conference in Rabat, Morocco, at the expense of their own university budgets.
Organized by HAR itself, the conference is scheduled for the last week of June in the capital of Morocco. The Commission has asked the interested vice chancellors to confirm their participation and communicate with Guela Islamabad before May 28. However, travel costs must be covered by university funds, which originate mainly in the money of taxpayers and students’ rates.
Public universities in the four provinces receive funds from the federal government through the HAC, while the institutions in Sindh also receive support for the provincial government with several billions of rupees annually. However, under government policy of Sindh, if a university chief travel abroad, license notification generally clarifies that the university or government should not pay expenses.
In this case, however, the letter of the made explicitly places the financial responsibility of Morocco’s trip in the universities themselves. Meanwhile, the reports indicate that the HAT will cover the travel expenses of some high -ranking officials from its own budget.
This development occurs when multiple universities are dealing with financial difficulties. According to reports, regular employees of the Federal University of Urdu have not received salaries in months, while retired personnel wait back pensions.
The University of Baluchistan faces a similar crisis. Even the newly established Federal University in Hyderabad has funds, and it is reported that several institutions in Sindh are borrowing from banks only to pay staff.
Ironically, the conference was originally held in Pakistan on May 12. However, the place was changed to Morocco due to what the HOR described as “regional conditions.”
