In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities are considering the closure of 14 universities due to poor performance and financial difficulties. Sources indicate that the Task Force Committee for Higher Education has raised concerns about the operations of these universities. The final decisions of the task force are expected to be approved by the cabinet on July 11. Earlier this year, a report revealed that the University of Peshawar, once renowned for its education and research, was the least productive public sector university in the province for 2022-23, according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The university scored just 10 percent on the HEC’s performance scorecard.
Other universities like Gomal University, Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), and Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology (SUIT) also performed poorly, each scoring below 30 percent.
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In contrast, Khyber Medical University ranked highest with a score of over 70 percent, followed by the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, which scored over 60 percent. Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, scored 53 percent, the University of Hazara over 52 percent, and Islamia College University, Peshawar, 48 percent. Other universities such as Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University Peshawar, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology (AUST), and the University of Malakand scored 40 percent, 20 percent, and 30 percent, respectively.
