On 17 October 2026, the Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah chaired a meeting of vice‑chancellors from thirty‑two public‑sector universities. The gathering was convened to discuss pressing financial and administrative matters affecting higher education in the province. Shah noted the scale of provincial support: the Sindh government provides Rs44.46 billion in grants‑in‑aid to these institutions.
During the same session, the chair highlighted a growing concern over pension liabilities. To address this, the Sindh government is moving to propose raising the retirement age of university professors from the current sixty years to sixty‑five years. The proposal was presented as a measure intended to ease the financial strain on the pension system.
Shah emphasized that the province’s financial assistance to universities is substantial, citing the exact figure of Rs44.46 billion. He urged university leaders to examine spending patterns, specifically calling for curbs on unnecessary non‑teaching recruitment. The discussion also touched on the need to formulate clear policies for any new campuses that might be established in the future.
The decision was announced in the presence of the vice‑chancellors, making it clear that the initiative originates at the provincial level.
Beyond finances, the meeting addressed administrative hurdles. Participants exchanged views on the implementation of the Right to Information law within university campuses, expressing concerns about how the legislation is being applied and what steps might be needed to ensure compliance.
According to reports from the meeting, the Sindh government has decided to formally propose the increase in the retirement age for professors from sixty to sixty‑five years. The decision was announced in the presence of the vice‑chancellors, making it clear that the initiative originates at the provincial level.
The proposal, however, cannot take effect immediately. It requires approval from the Sindh cabinet before it can be enacted into law. Until such approval is granted, the current retirement age of sixty remains in place for university professors across the province.
The meeting also served as a forum to review the overall financial assistance extended to higher education institutions. Officials reiterated that the grant‑in‑aid figure of Rs44.46 billion represents the provincial commitment to sustaining public universities.
As of the date of the meeting, the proposal to raise the retirement age to sixty‑five is under consideration, awaiting cabinet review. University leaders continue to manage their institutions within the existing framework of sixty‑year retirement, while monitoring developments that could alter the academic workforce’s timeline in the coming years.