**Quaid-i-Azam University Faces Financial Meltdown as Staff Demand Rs. 5 Billion Emergency Bailout**
Quaid-i-Azam University, one of Pakistan’s leading institutions of higher learning, is facing an unprecedented financial and administrative breakdown as employees and retirees go unpaid and vital services remain suspended. During a recent Senate Standing Committee meeting, university staff and welfare associations warned that without an immediate government intervention—including a Rs. 5 billion bailout—the university’s future, and the well-being of hundreds of families, are in grave jeopardy.
According to a written appeal submitted by university staff, the institution has failed to pay gratuities to retirees for three years, leaving families unable to meet essential expenses or significant life events such as weddings. Medical services for employees, both indoor and outdoor, have been suspended for nearly two years, and overtime payments remain frozen. Meanwhile, those working in the BS Evening Program have not received their salaries, General Provident funds due to staff have not been returned, and the non-payment of house rent subsidies has led to harassment from landlords. The recent federal budget’s announced 25% salary increase has yet to reach employees, compounding financial pressures as the latest budget proposed no new increment.
Presenting these concerns before Senate Standing Committee Chairperson Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Iftikhar Ahmed Kayani, General Secretary of the Employees Welfare Association, and Vice President Sajjad Ali called for urgent action. They stressed that the financial desperation among staff is driving families toward despair, with some reporting severe mental health issues and suicidal thoughts. The representatives emphasized the need for both an immediate bailout to clear outstanding dues and the establishment of a sustainable funding mechanism indexed to inflation and rising living expenses.
Rashid Mehmood Abbasi, President of the Officers Welfare Association, highlighted that the university has suffered from stagnant budgets for the past five years. He revealed that some staff members have died without receiving their rightful gratuity payments. Despite repeated appeals to government officials, he reported that actions have been stalled pending a formal response from the Vice Chancellor, leaving staff frustrations unresolved.
Dr. Anzar Satti, General Secretary of the Officers Welfare Association, further described the university’s operations as being crippled by a Rs. 2 billion deficit. He estimated that a bailout of Rs. 2.5 billion could help restore stability, but also underscored the necessity of launching new research and academic initiatives—particularly under public-private partnerships—to enable the university to generate its own revenue and avoid similar crises in the future.
University staff associations warn that failure to act could have far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s entire higher education sector. With the university’s continued viability now at stake, employees and faculty are urging the government to provide immediate financial support and craft long-term solutions before the situation becomes irreversible.
