Bilawal slams 'huge' cuts in Higher Education budget

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday condemned, what he said, huge cuts in the Higher Education budget by the PTI government compelling the public sector universities to take loans from the private sector to run their affairs.

In a statement, he expressed grave concern over the fact that 104 public universities in the country were passing through the worst-ever financial crisis in their history. Of the required Rs158 billion budget, the puppet government is not ready to allocate even half of it, he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari pointed out that some of the most prominent universities of the country including University of Peshawar are not able even to pay the salaries and pensions to their staff while research and higher education had been severely neglected.

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He said the government has demolished the economy of the country, pushing millions below the poverty line.

The PPP chairman demanded the immediate release of all the funds required for the smooth functioning of public sector universities without any delay and expressed solidarity and support for the students, teachers and staff of the public sector universities in the time of this grave crisis.