ISLAMABAD, June 24: The Punjab Higher Education Department has refused to provide funds for the development projects of 12 public sector universities in the province, it has been learnt.

According to documents available with Dawn, the department has sent letters to the universities stating that it had no funds and the institutions should approach the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to complete the projects.

The institutions of higher learning are: Punjab University, Lahore; Bahauddin Zakria University, Multan; Islamia University, Bahawalpur; University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore; University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila; Government College University, Faisalabad; Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi; Government College University, Lahore; University of Education, Lahore; Lahore College of Women University, Lahore; University of Sargodha and University of Gujrat.

An officer of a university requesting not to be quoted said the HEC had already informed them that the ministry of finance had refused to provide funds to the commission due to which it was not possible for the latter to fulfil their demands.

“We had decided to seek funds from the government of Punjab to complete the projects but it is shocking that they have straightaway refused,” he said.

Another officer on the condition of anonymity added: “It had already been decided in the Council of Common Interest (CCI) that the provincial governments will be bearing the financial burden of universities after announcement of the next NFC award in 2014, so the refusal by the provincial government was not unexpected but the problem is that if both the HEC and the Punjab government do not provide funds we will be left with no option but to increase fees.”

He regretted that both the federal and provincial governments had been claiming that education was their first priority but they were not ready to take the funding responsibility.

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association president Kaleemullah told Dawn that it had become a routine that every year after protests the government released some funds to the universities. “It seems that the higher education sector in Pakistan is going towards a collapse.”

Adviser to HEC Dr Riaz Qureshi said the government had not honoured its commitments regarding funds so it was not possible for the commission to fund the universities’ development projects. “We are expecting that the issue will be resolved soon,” he said.