University of Peshawar employees protest delayed salaries, pensions

PESHAWAR: Employees of the University of Peshawar (UoP) on Monday held a protest over the non-payment of March salaries and pensions, with a large number of demonstrators also blocking Jamrud Road outside the campus.

The road blockade caused significant disruption for motorists and commuters, who remained stuck in hot weather as traffic was affected on the busy route.

Speaking to Dawn, Class-III Association president Imtiaz Khan said the university was facing serious financial difficulties and alleged that neither the administration nor the provincial government was taking practical steps to address them.

He said the university had released March salaries in instalments to lower-ranking employees. According to him, faculty members had received only 40 per cent of their salaries, while retired employees had still not been paid their pensions.

Imtiaz Khan warned that the protest could intensify if timely arrangements were not made for the payment of salaries and pensions.

Teachers body seeks chief minister’s intervention

Separately, the Peshawar University Teachers Association wrote to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, seeking financial support for the university.

"We write to you with deep concern and a sense of urgency regarding the situation at University of Peshawar, an institution that has, for more than 75 years, shaped the lives, careers and aspirations of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," the letter said.

The association said the university had for generations served as more than a place of learning, describing it as a source of opportunity for thousands of families and a training ground for teachers, civil servants and professionals in the province. The institution had played an important role in the region’s social and economic development and that its strength rested not only on its legacy but also on the commitment of those working there.

"Today, those very people are under severe strain. Half of the salaries for March remain unpaid (Rs131 million), and pensions for the same month (Rs162 million) have not been released at all," referring to the current financial strain, the letter stated.

The letter said many employees and pensioners were struggling to meet basic household expenses, including rent, utility bills, medicines and their children’s education, and added that for some, the issue had gone beyond inconvenience and become one of genuine hardship.

The uncertainty surrounding the coming months was especially troubling, as the university did not have the resources to ensure payment of salaries and pensions in the near future. According to the association, this had created anxiety across the university community, including teaching staff, support employees and retired workers.

The teachers body said that despite repeated delays over the past year, faculty and staff had continued their duties with patience and dignity, and that classes had continued without students being abandoned. However, it cautioned that such a situation could not continue indefinitely without relief or assurance.

The letter also said public universities existed because the state invested in them financially and as part of a broader commitment to people and the future, adding that when such institutions were unable to pay those who sustained them, the impact extended beyond the campus to families across the province.