Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday called for a permanent, transparent and sustainable mechanism to address salary disparities among faculty members under the Tenure Track System (TTS), ensuring fair compensation and retention of highly qualified academic talent in the country.
Chairing a meeting on the TTS salary structure, the minister stressed the need for a clear and objective formula to ensure appropriate differentiation in the pay structures of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors.
He called for an independent mechanism for future salary adjustments to prevent recurring disparities and avoid repeated deliberations at the government level.
Expressing concern over the departure of talented Pakistani professors to other countries for better opportunities, Ahsan Iqbal said the country’s investment in educating and training its academic talent must be protected through fair remuneration and a sustainable compensation structure.
He directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to support the proposed salary adjustment framework with accurate data and clearly defined financial implications, including existing disparities, inflation-based adjustments and a forward-looking mechanism linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The minister cautioned the HEC against presenting incomplete or inaccurate information, warning that the Commission would be held accountable if it was found to have misled the forum.
The meeting discussed measures to resolve existing TTS salary disparities and establish a predictable and transparent framework for future salary revisions.
Ahsan Iqbal stressed that the existing salary disparities must be addressed through a clear and objective formula, ensuring appropriate differentiation in the pay structures of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors.
He called for an independent mechanism for future salary adjustments to avoid recurring discrepancies and repeated government-level deliberations.
Emphasizing the importance of retaining highly qualified faculty, the Minister said it was deeply concerning that many talented Pakistani professors had left the country for better opportunities abroad.
He stressed that the country’s investment in educating and training its academic talent must be protected through fair remuneration and a sustainable compensation structure.
The Minister also directed that the proposed salary adjustment framework, including the existing disparities, inflation-based adjustment and a forward-looking CPI-linked mechanism, be supported by accurate data and clearly established financial implications.
He cautioned the HEC against presenting incomplete or inaccurate information, stating that if it emerged that the forum had been misled, he would hold the Commission accountable.
The meeting discussed the need to resolve the existing TTS salary disparities while establishing a predictable and transparent framework for future revisions.
