A Task Force Committee on Higher Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is considering a suggestion to shut down as many as 14 universities over their poor performance and financial crisis, sources told Aaj News on Tuesday.

The provincial committee was formed to find the reasons for the deteriorating educational standards and financial crises in the province. The committee has identified that the universities in KP are facing acute financial problems, leading to poor performance.

Over the last two meetings of the committee, discussions were held to pull the universities out of the crisis. But the final decision would be made in the committee’s meeting on July 11. According to sources, the panel’s decisions would be presented before the provincial cabinet for approval.

In response to a query by Aaj News regarding the reduction in the number of universities in KP, Meena Khan Afridi, the provincial minister for higher education, denied any such plans.

“A Task Force Committee on Higher Education is currently working on the matter and their recommendations will be reviewed before any decision is made,” he said.

When asked, Dr Azir, the central general secretary of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), expressed his support for the recommendation. In the past, he said that universities were established in the province on “political grounds without proper need assessments,” leading to severe financial constraints.

Dr Azir added that the increase in the number of universities in the province outpaced the allocation of funds from the Higher Education Commission, resulting in financial difficulties for such institutions.

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The FAPUASA had passed a resolution last year supporting the reduction in the number of universities in KP as a means to address the financial challenges faced by the higher education institutions in the province, he said and added that such a suggestion was put forward to the provincial government.

Dr Azir stressed the need for establishing a provincial HEC and the allocation of dedicated funds for universities by the provincial government in KP.