PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has directed all public sector universities in the province to resume admissions in computing programmes, saying that any halt at this stage could seriously affect students, academic planning and the future stability of public sector institutions.
The instructions were issued by the Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Department to the vice chancellors of all public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The decision follows an advisory by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the temporary suspension of admissions in certain computing programmes under the National Skills and Competency Test (NSCT) 2026.
According to a letter issued by the KP Higher Education Department, the provincial government has asked the HEC to reconsider its advisory. The letter said that any regulatory action affecting universities should be based on a fair, transparent and uniform system.
The department made it clear that the provincial government does not support stopping admissions in the affected computing programmes at this stage.
It warned that suspension of admissions could create serious difficulties for students planning to study computing. It could also affect university academic planning and the long-term stability of public sector institutions.
The universities have been directed to continue the admission process for the concerned computing programmes during the current admission cycle in line with the approved admission schedule and existing rules.
The letter stated that universities should continue admissions until further instructions are issued by the competent authority.
The provincial government said the decision had been taken to protect the academic interests of students, maintain public confidence in the higher education system and prevent any negative impact on student enrolment and the reputation of universities.
The development is significant for thousands of students seeking admission to computing-related programmes in public sector universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as the provincial government has clearly asked universities not to stop the admission process at this stage.
