PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Archives and Libraries, Meena Khan Afridi, has announced the release of funds for lump-sum payment of pension arrears to university employees across the province, resolving a longstanding issue. Speaking at a special ceremony at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, organized by the Universities Intellectual Forum, the minister apologized to pensioners for delays and confirmed that cheques for pending dues had been distributed. Advisor to CM on Finance Muzzammil Aslam and Special Assistant on Science and IT Shafqat Ayaz also attended the event. Afridi said the government had significantly increased university funding, raising the grant from Rs. 4.5 billion to Rs. 10 billion this year, and pledged further reforms including solarization of campuses, e-office systems, and a new provincial ranking system for universities. Advisor Muzzammil Aslam added that the provincial government has cleared all university pension arrears this year and reaffirmed its commitment to prioritize higher education in budget allocations. DLP Report
