- University of PoJK faces severe financial distress, reporting a budget deficit exceeding PKR 1.3 billion in the current fiscal year, described as 'insupportable' without urgent government support.
- Rising pension liabilities and stagnant grants have pushed costs far beyond income, with the university’s pension bill alone reaching PKR 590 million for FY 2025-26.
- The crisis highlights broader education challenges in PoJK, including chronic underfunding, inadequate infrastructure, and weak academic outcomes, raising concerns over the region’s higher education sustainability.
The University of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir is passing through an unprecedented financial crisis as its budget for the current fiscal year has shown a deficit of over 1.3 billion Pakistani currency, Dawn reported.
The university described the shortfall as insupportable without urgent government support. It was established at Muzaffarabad in 1980 as first public sector university in the state and later on three constituent colleges were established at Mirpur, Rawalakot and Kotli which afterwards were upgraded as independent universities.
Though the assets of the parent university were divided among the newly established institutes, Dawn reported that the University of PoJK was left with pension and other long-term liabilities, which substantially increased its financial load.
Since then, rising pension obligations, inflation, and stagnant government grants have widened the deficit, putting extreme pressure on the financial sustainability of the university. "The financial position of our institution has become critically unsustainable", said University spokesperson Mubashar Naqvi in a conversation with Dawn.
He said the income for FY2025-26 estimated by them is a far cry from the expenditures, especially employees-related costs. "Our pension bill alone has reached PKR 590 million this year, and it will continue to rise as the number of pensioners increases", he added, underscoring that grants from the Higher Education Commission and the PoJK government have remained unchanged for years.
Also Read: Dubai Government Announces Research Awards to Foster Talent and Innovation
As the financial struggles that the University of PoJK is currently dealing with reflect broader challenges in the education system of the region, schools and colleges in PoJK often face chronic underfunding, outdated curricula, and a shortage of qualified teachers. This has equally been highlighted in several media reports, where many students are made to complain of limited access to modern laboratories, libraries, and digital learning tools, which further narrows their opportunities to attain higher academic achievements.
Government funding is often late or insufficient, while political interference and mismanagement further exacerbate the problem. Consequently, literacy rates are lower than the national average, and education outcomes are also lower in the region. Graduates also face tough competition in seeking jobs or continuing higher education anywhere outside PoJK.
As critics point out, without urgent reform and sustained investment, the education provided in the region risks being largely symbolic rather than genuinely empowering.
