ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Pakistan’s premier higher education institution, is facing a crippling financial crisis that threatens its academic and research operations, according to a statement issued by the university’s Employees Welfare Association (EWA).
The Association warned that without an immediate bailout of Rs 7 billion, the institution—consistently ranked among the top universities in Asia—may suffer irreparable damage.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, EWA President Syed Hassan Shah and General Secretary Iftikhar Ahmad Kayani accused the government of neglecting repeated appeals by Vice Chancellor Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar to Pakistan’s top leadership, including the President and Prime Minister.
“This university is being financially strangled. Hundreds of retired employees have gone years without pensions or medical reimbursements. Several have passed away waiting,” the statement read.
Currently, over 200 retired employees are reportedly awaiting pension payments and gratuities for the past three to four years, while active employees continue to face delays in salary adjustments, overtime dues, and unpaid allowances. The CMS and Evening BS program payments are also outstanding, causing unrest among faculty and staff.
“Morale is at an all-time low. The university is losing its best people due to sheer disillusionment,” the EWA said.
The association noted that while federal pay and pension increases are announced annually, QAU is unable to implement them due to its financial shortfall, causing a widening disparity between QAU employees and other public-sector workers.
Once a flagship of academic excellence, QAU has played a pivotal role in national development. Nearly 70% of strategic personnel in Pakistan’s premier research institutions are QAU graduates.
The financial crisis now threatens QAU’s global standing and future contribution to science, policymaking, and education.
The EWA has issued an SOS to the President, Prime Minister, Ministry of Education, and Higher Education Commission (HEC) for urgent intervention. The association also called on QAU’s global alumni network to step up and contribute financially.
“In universities around the world, alumni step forward in times of need. We urge QAU alumni to help protect this institution’s future.”
If the government fails to act, the EWA has warned of mass protests outside the National Assembly, press clubs, and across Islamabad.
“This is not just about salaries — this is a fight to save Quaid-i-Azam University itself,” the statement concluded.
