HED-KP shifts blames on HEC for protest of varsities' employees from KP.

PESHAWAR -- The Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (HED-KP) has shifted blame on the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the ongoing protest of contractual employees of various public sector universities in Islamabad by claiming that the commission did not release funds to the universities on time, forcing them to lay off staff.

This accusation was hurled in a statement issued by Spokesperson HED-KP and Assistant Director Information Riaz Ghafoor on Sunday regarding the protest.

'Problems have also arisen due to HEC's cut in funds of universities and delay in payments. HEC has been repeatedly contacted for timely payment of the entire funds to the universities of the province," he said in the statement, adding that all universities were fully independent and empowered under the constitution and law.

He further said: "Universities pay salaries and other expenses from their own resources. Recruitment and retention of employees is constitutionally and legally the mandate of...