Speaking during a meeting with a university delegation at his office in Karachi, the senator said the institution is a national asset and its faculty and staff are “valuable resources of the nation,” stressing that their issues must be addressed through timely and sustainable measures.

The delegation briefed him on the severity of the crisis, stating that delays in salaries and dues for employees have become routine, while pensioners are facing serious hardship.

They warned that academic and development activities are being severely affected, with even basic facilities becoming difficult to maintain, undermining the teaching and research environment.

Roshan Ali Somro, president of the Teachers’ Association at Abdul Haq Campus, highlighted what he described as a governance breakdown. He noted that the university’s top legal and administrative body, the Senate, has remained largely inactive, holding only one meeting in the past two and a half years.

He said the inactivity has stalled key policy decisions and weakened institutional governance, urging the President of Pakistan to either chair Senate meetings or appoint a deputy chairperson to restore functionality.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Tahiri also voiced concern over the lack of progress on a bailout package, warning that the financial crisis is intensifying and has left faculty, staff, and students in a state of uncertainty.

Senator Sarmad assured the delegation that he would raise the matter forcefully in the Senate and engage relevant authorities at both federal and provincial levels to seek a lasting solution.

During the meeting, representatives from the Teachers’ Associations of Abdul Haq and Gulshan-e-Iqbal campuses congratulated him on his election as president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society and presented him with a book as a token of appreciation.