Peshawar [Pakistan], April 28 (ANI): Employees of the University of Peshawar (UoP) on Monday staged a protest over non-payment of March salaries and pensions, blocking the busy Jamrud Road outside the campus, Dawn reported. The blockade, amid hot weather, caused significant difficulties for motorists and commuters.
Imtiaz Khan, president of the Class-III Association, said the historic university faces severe financial challenges and accused both the administration and the provincial government of failing to take practical measures. He said March salaries were paid in instalments to lower-ranking staff, faculty members received only 40 percent of their pay, and retired employees had not received pensions.
Khan warned the protest would escalate if timely payments were not arranged. Meanwhile, the Peshawar University Teachers Association has written to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi requesting financial assistance for the university.
In their letter, the association said UoP—serving the province for more than 75 years—has long been a gateway to opportunity and a training ground for teachers, civil servants and professionals. It noted that the university’s strength depends on the commitment of its staff, who are now under severe strain: half of March salaries remain unpaid and pensions for the month have not been released.
The letter added that many employees and pensioners are struggling to meet essential household expenses, including rent, utilities, medicines and children’s education. Despite repeated payment delays over the past year, faculty and staff have continued their duties without interrupting classes, but the association warned the situation cannot continue indefinitely without assurance or relief.
The letter stressed that public universities exist because the state invests in them; when such institutions cannot pay those who sustain them, the problem transcends an institutional crisis and directly affects families across the province, Dawn reported. (ANI)
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