{
  "id": 19109431,
  "title": "Rs18 billion sought for resolving financial issues of KP varsities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/rs18-billion-sought-for-resolving-financial-issues-of-kp-varsities",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T06:17:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2043104/rs18-billion-sought-for-resolving-financial-issues-of-kp-varsities"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PESHAWAR: The provincial higher education department has formally requested Rs18 billion in funding from the federal government to address the financial struggles facing many public universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This demand was conveyed in a letter sent to the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The letter, titled 'grant for stabilisation, development and endowment fund for public sector universities in KP,' highlighted that these universities, which educate around 200,000 students, are facing significant financial pressures that impact the quality, affordability, and sustainability of higher education.\n\nThe root cause of this financial strain, according to the letter, is a chronic funding gap that emerged over recent years. Despite provincial support, grants to universities fell short by Rs18.0 billion over the past decade. Out of the 34 public universities in the province, 26 are currently operating in deficit. The accumulated deficits amount to Rs5.6 billion, which are yet to be resolved, and students and their families are having to bear the cost through increased tuition fees.\n\nThe department pointed out that the discrepancy is due to grant amounts not keeping pace with the rise in pay and pension costs. Federal grants from the HEC decreased by 6.3% over the last three years, while expenditures increased by over 18% during the same period. Salaries and pensions have surged more than 135% since 2018-19, with the pension increase alone exceeding 80%. This rapid growth in compensation costs has outpaced the growth in grant funding, resulting in a widening gap.\n\nHistorically, the University of Peshawar holds the largest deficit at Rs2.2 billion, primarily due to a Rs53.6 billion pension liability for long-term settlement. Other universities, such as Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan and Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, also face substantial shortfalls, with deficits ranging up to Rs0.7 billion each. These financial challenges are exacerbated by recent increases in university expenditures, which have risen from Rs40.8 billion to Rs54.8 billion over the past three years, while the grant per student has declined from Rs82,000 to Rs72,000. Despite raising their own grants from zero to Rs11.85 billion, the provincial government has not been able to fully address the shortfall, as most of this additional funding has been allocated to pension liabilities from previous years.",
  "summary": "PESHAWAR: The provincial higher education department has sought a grant of Rs18 billion from the federal government to resolve financial issues of most of the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The demand of grant has been made by the department in a letter addressed to the chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC). “Public sector universities of KP, which educate around…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}