ISLAMABAD: All Public Universities BPS Teachers Association (APUBTA) has accused Higher Education Commission (HEC) of stalling approval of the service structure and promotion policy for over 50,000 BPS faculty members of around 154 public sector universities accross Pakistan.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, APUBTA alleged that HEC continues to use delaying tactics and changes its position at various forums in its bid to deprive the BPS faculty from their rights.
In a recent hearing at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on a petition filed by the association, the HEC claimed that it cannot frame policy or issue guidelines for the promotion and and service structure of BPS faculty as it would require amendments to the individual Acts and Statutes of each university.
APUBTA’s petition seeks implementation of agreements signed between the teachers’ association and HEC regarding grant of service structure and promotion policy to varsities’ BPS faculty members.
It also sought resolution of seniority related issues arising out of unjust and discriminatory policies pursued by HEC.
However, the association claimed that the HEC took a somersault in the IHC as it had promulgated a policy and guidelines that provide path to promotion for Tenure Track System (TTS) faculty, but did not provide the same for the teachers working under another stream – BPS faculty.
TTS faculty makes about 88 per cent of the total university teachers working in about 154 public sector universities of the country. “This unjust and discriminatory treatment of university teachers have caused serious seniority related issues besides divisions, disappointment and frustration among the university teachers,” the statement said.
The new stance HEC adopted in the court contradicts its earlier commitments made to both university teachers and parliamentarians, sparking fresh concerns over its credibility.
The commission had earlier acknowledged the APUBTA concerns in multiple forums, including the Senate and National Assembly standing committees on education, and assured that it would establish a fair service structure. Despite these pledges, little progress has been made in over two years, and now, “HEC is backtracking in court”.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has issued notices to four Islamabad-based public sector universities – Quaid-i-Azam University, International Islamic University, Allama Iqbal Open University, and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology – to submit their views and outline their current promotion policies, particularly in relation to the TTS framework.
The next hearing has been scheduled for September 16, 2025.
The court’s intervention has reignited debate over HEC’s role and responsibility under Clause 10.1.Q of the HEC Ordinance 2002, which empowers the commission to issue policy guidelines for higher education institutions.
For years, BPS faculty have voiced concerns over a lack of career progression, staging protests outside HEC headquarters and demanding parity with their TTS counterparts. They argue that the absence of a uniform promotion structure not only demoralises educators but also undermines academic performance and institutional stability.
The association is hopeful that the ongoing petition and recent court directives will lead to a resolution of these discriminatory policies against the BPS faculty and ensure fairness in the higher education system.