Financial issues could lead to the closure of up to 20 universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a new report revealed on Monday.

The report, generated by the governor’s office, has revealed that universities in the province run a deficit of Rs1.70 billion and are more than Rs6 billion in debt.

“There are several factors for the deteriorating condition of the varsities in KP. Higher Education has not increased the grant for the higher education institutions while the provincial government also does not pass budgets regularly,” said Dr Shafiq ur Rahman, advisor to the KP Higher Education Department.

Dr Rahman was of the view that the establishment of universities on a political basis instead of providing facilities to the present institutions furthered the woes.

“Varsities were established in regions where students were very few. Former CM Mahmood Khan established four universities in Swat. The absence of permanent vice chancellors and administrators along with colleges offering bachelor’s programmes has added to the hardships of these institutions,” Dr Rahman stated.

Dr Izhar, former president of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association, said that the provincial governments and vice-chancellors are not taking responsibility for the institutions amid the financial and administrative issues.

“The provincial governments appoint the vice-chancellors who are paid in millions along with other perks. However, the quality of the varsities continues to decline. There is almost no research work due to the lack of funds,” he added.

The financial crisis has worsened to a degree that the staff at many universities have not been paid their salaries. Administrative affairs have been halted in multiple universities as well.

The report has also revealed that 29 universities were set up in the university without proper planning. The institutions were created for ‘political reasons’, even in places where the number of students did not merit it. It adds that four universities were created in Swat alone.

Revealing another detail about the mismanagement of how the universities are run, the report says that 12 universities in the province do not currently have a vice-chancellor and eight out of these are being run by pro-VCs.

Another 8 universities will lose their chancellors to retirement this year, the report adds.