Karachi: The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST) faces an increasingly dire financial crisis, with no positive progress emerging from recent meetings of the Standing Committee on Education.
This lack of action puts the future of hundreds of faculty and staff, and thousands of students, at serious risk.
The federal government’s apparent disinterest in resolving FUUAST’s mounting problems has drawn sharp criticism. The university is currently grappling with a severe financial shortfall, resulting in the non-payment of salaries for the past three months and house rent allowances for eight months.
This situation has forced faculty members to seek employment elsewhere, with some leaving the country or joining other institutions. The uncertainty caused by the financial instability is significantly impacting the education of thousands of students.
Despite repeated appeals from the university administration, including numerous letters from Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Zabita Khan Shinwari, neither the federal government nor the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken adequate notice of the crisis or increased grant allocations.
The university administration has repeatedly informed the Federal Ministry of Education, the HEC, HEC Sindh, and the Sindh government of the deteriorating situation, but has received no positive response.
FUUAST, the second-largest public university in Karachi, serves a significant student population, with approximately 80% of its students coming from Sindh. While the Sindh government provides no grants, the HEC has not increased its funding, and the federal government remains unresponsive.
The university’s financial records paint a stark picture:
* The financial year (2023-2024) shows a deficit of Rs. 934.832 million. This deficit has severely hampered the university’s ability to meet its financial obligations, including paying faculty and staff salaries.
* Projections for the next financial year (2024-2025) indicate a required grant of Rs. 1,475.168 million just to break even.
* If the current deficit of Rs. 934.832 million is not addressed, the projected deficit for 2024-2025 could balloon to Rs. 1,513.982 million.
Without immediate financial intervention from the federal government, FUUAST faces the very real prospect of being unable to provide essential services and fulfill its educational mandate. The university’s future, and the future of its students and staff, hangs in the balance.
