Retired Teachers and Staff at FUUAST Face Financial Hardship Due to Non-Payment of Pensions
Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science, and Technology (FUUAST) retirees are grappling with severe financial difficulties after not receiving their pensions for the past four months. The affected group consists of both teaching and non-teaching staff who retired between 2017 to 2024.
Dr Tausif Ahmed Khan, a former associate professor at FUUAST, highlights that six out of these 80 retirees have already passed away due to the hardships they faced during this period. Dr. Khan emphasizes: “Pension is our right, not charity.” This underscores their assertion for timely pension payments amidst financial and health struggles among some members who suffer from critical illnesses.
Dr. Tausif further condemns the university’s handling of retiree funds as “illegal and inhumane,” revealing that surplus monies exceeding Rs500 million were invested into a private bank to secure profits, rather than being used for pension payments or other outstanding dues. This investment strategy was employed repeatedly across different banks during the university management changeover between 2019 and December of that year’s financial period – specifically mentioning Habib Bank’s Bahria Enclave Branch in Islamabad initially, followed by an unspecified bank where monthly profits from November were invested.
The decision-making process for investment appeared to lack approval processes involving university bodies such as the Syndicate or other relevant committees; instead, Dr Tausif alleges that decisions about fund usage seemed influenced by a specific Bank Alfalah branch manager whom he accuses of using personal connections with officials.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) clarifies to Dawn that HEC grants universities are granted-in-aid as part of their total operational funds and not distinctly earmarked for any particular campus; the use of such grant is primarily an internal university matter, according to Tariq Iqbal’s statement.
Dr Khan demands immediate rectification from FUUAST authorities by drawing attention to these issues with Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and requests a thorough investigation into this crisis alongside appropriate measures for accountability of those misusing the funds, as per his declaration: “If we aren’t paid our pensions and other dues, we will go on hunger strike from January 2025.“
Dawn attempted to engage with FUUAST’s Vice Chancellor about these concerns but received no response. Dr Tausif insists that the retirees have not been paid for pensions except for those disbursed in October, leaving other dues unpaid and advocating resolution through banking audits to recover funds earmarked initially by a prior vice chancellor’s tenure before his time.
Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024