‘Financial crisis’: Professors advocate funds for FUUAST on pattern of QAU

KARACHI: Professors of the Federal Urdu University have urged the Ministry of Education to grant financial support to the institution on the pattern of Quaid-e-Azam University to help overcome the severe financial crisis it is facing right now.

Professors Dr. Abdul Majid and Professor Iftikhar Ahmed Tahiri of the Federal Urdu University have urged the Ministry of Education to provide financial assistance to the institution similar to that granted to Quaid-e-Azam University, to overcome its severe financial crisis.

Dr. Abdul Majid, General Secretary of the Teachers’ Association, Abdul Haq Campus, and Professor Iftikhar Ahmed Tahiri, General Secretary of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Campus, said that university employees have been deprived of housing allowances for the past 14 months and salaries for the past three to four months, causing extreme financial hardship for the staff.

Both professors appealed to Federal Minister for Education Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to announce a special bailout package so that employees can receive their legitimate dues. They reminded the minister of his assurances made during the university’s convocation and hoped he would fulfill his promises as a supporter of the Urdu language.

The professors also appealed to the President of Pakistan, the Chancellor of the university, to intervene and ensure immediate financial relief.

Faculty members said under Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Zabita Khan Shinwari, the university has shown positive progress after years of administrative and financial instability. Regular appointments of Registrar, Treasurer, and Controller of Examinations have been made, while international collaborations have increased. Recently, the university hosted the Pakistan-Russian Conference, resulting in agreements for student and faculty exchanges and the launch of Russian language courses.

On-campus conditions have also improved through cooperation with the Gulshan Town administration and NGOs, ensuring better cleanliness and access to clean drinking water. At the Islamabad campus, new departments such as Pharmacy have been established to boost revenue, while the newly launched Department of Mass Communication at the Gulshan campus has attracted high enrollment.

Despite these reforms, the Ministry of Education has been criticized for its apathy. Dr. Siddiqui, who often calls himself a promoter of Urdu, has failed to address the university’s financial crisis, while Quaid-e-Azam University continues to receive federal support. Teachers and staff complain they remain unpaid for months, with no response from the ministry.

They warn that if the government does not act swiftly, the Federal Urdu University — the only federal institution established in the name of Urdu — risks losing its academic standing and cultural relevance. Such neglect, they say, would undermine the dream of Baba-e-Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq and deal a blow to the promotion of the national language.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025