The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has urged the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives to take immediate and practical steps to resolve the financial and professional issues faced by university faculty across the country.
The appeal follows the directives issued during the sixth meeting of the Task Force on Higher Education held on July 4, 2025, at the Pak Secretariat, Islamabad, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal. During the meeting, the HEC was instructed to engage with stakeholders, including faculty representatives, to gather data and recommendations on teachers’ pay scales, service structures, and related concerns.
In compliance with these directions, the HEC Secretariat held two consultative sessions with FAPUASA representatives on September 5 and September 23, 2025, chaired by Professor Anwar-ul-Hasan Gilani, Consultant and Incharge (QAD/QAA) at HEC. The meetings were attended by Dr. Najeebullah Marwat, Member Science and Technology, Planning Commission of Pakistan; Muhammad Zaheer, Assistant Chief, Planning Commission; representatives from the Finance Division; and senior HEC officials. The FAPUASA delegation was led by its President, Professor Mazhar Iqbal.
During the discussions, Professor Mazhar Iqbal commended Dr. Marwat’s active involvement and briefed the participants on the serious financial and service structure challenges confronting university faculty. He pointed out that the withdrawal of the income tax rebate for teachers and researchers in 2025 has significantly reduced faculty salaries, putting them under severe financial strain.
He further noted that faculty working under the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system lack a clear promotion pathway, with appointments often made through advertisements—an uncommon practice in other government departments. Even when positions are available, they are frequently delayed or left unfilled, leading to frustration and professional stagnation among teachers.
Highlighting the plight of Tenure Track System (TTS) faculty, the FAPUASA president said their salaries have not been revised since 2021. Since the system’s introduction in 2007, pay increases have been made only three times—in 2011, 2015, and 2021—resulting in TTS packages now falling below BPS levels. Moreover, TTS faculty are excluded from post-retirement benefits such as pensions, death or Prime Minister’s assistance packages, and leave prior to retirement (LPR), leaving them and their families in financial uncertainty.
FAPUASA representatives strongly opposed the proposed introduction of any new pay structure, arguing that it would complicate rather than resolve the existing disparities between the BPS and TTS systems. The meeting was informed that the HEC will convene another session in October 2025 to finalize recommendations for the next meeting of the Task Force on Higher Education.
FAPUASA called on the government to restore the tax rebate for teachers and researchers or introduce an equivalent allowance, establish a transparent service structure for BPS faculty, and align TTS salaries with market competitiveness while extending post-retirement benefits to them. The federation emphasized that timely resolution of these issues is essential to prevent the brain drain of qualified educators and safeguard the quality of higher education in Pakistan.
