LAHORE (Special Reporter): The Joint Action Committee comprising teachers, employees, and officers of Punjab University—Pakistan’s largest and oldest seat of higher learning—expressed deep concern over the severe financial, administrative, and academic crisis plaguing the institution during a press conference. Leaders of the Joint Action Committee revealed that the current administration encashed and spent nearly Rs 4.88 billion in reserve funds within a short span of 14 months without approval from the Finance & Planning Committee. Meanwhile, the budget for the current fiscal year was presented with a deficit of Rs 2.57 billion, pushing the actual cumulative financial deficit to nearly Rs 8 billion. Additionally, Rs 786 million accumulated across various departments was transferred to the central account and expended under a ‘One Account Policy’, while the budget for self-supporting programs closed at a deficit of Rs 350 million for the first time in history.
The committee leaders further highlighted that due to administrative mismanagement, Punjab University’s QS World University Ranking dropped by 46 spots from 542 to 588, alongside a decline in HEC’s ORIC rankings. Research and travel grants as well as publication support for faculty members have virtually ceased, while academic research activities remain suspended due to the closure of student hostels. They pointed out that multiple key administrative departments have been concentrated under a single officer, the “DG Student, Estate & Security,” who currently faces pending inquiries. The leaders urged the government to conduct an immediate and independent forensic audit of Punjab University’s finances, remove the DG Student from office, end retaliatory inquiries, advertise the position of Registrar, and clear all legitimate dues of teachers and employees promptly. They warned that if their demands are not met within two weeks, they will escalate protests outside the university, boycott classes, enforce a campus lockout, and stage a sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly.