Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training expressed serious concern over the handling of harassment allegations and financial issues at FUUAST. The committee criticised the continued failure to produce harassment inquiry reports requested from the Ministry of Education, with Chairperson Dr. Shazia Sobia Somroo underlining that workplace harassment is a matter that cannot be ignored.
Committee member Sabeen Ghori raised questions about the Vice Chancellor’s earlier remarks that the harassment cases were sub judice, calling that assertion misleading and suggesting it may have been used to evade accountability. Her comments intensified scrutiny of transparency within the Federal Urdu University administration and prompted calls for a more independent review.
Financial mismanagement was also highlighted as a pressing concern. Abdul Aleem Khan informed the committee that employees at FUUAST have not received salaries for two months and that house ceiling rent payments have been outstanding for fifteen months. Lawmakers described these failures as alarming and symptomatic of deeper administrative breakdowns at the university.
Speaking on the broader state of higher education in the capital, Khurram Nawaz criticised persistent expenditure problems across universities, noting that some professors continue to travel abroad while drawing substantial salaries. He emphasised that basic educational standards are eroding even in Islamabad, with FUUAST cited as a stark example of institutional decline.
In response to the gravity of the allegations and doubts about the Vice Chancellor’s statements, Sabeen Ghori proposed formation of a special sub-committee to conduct an independent and thorough examination of harassment matters involving the university leadership. Lawmakers signalled that institutional mismanagement, financial negligence, and any attempt to mislead Parliament will face consequences, and the committee said it will take further action once pending reports are submitted and the proposed sub-committee is constituted.
