The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) has proposed a significant restructuring of commerce education by planning to transfer around 76 public sector commerce colleges to 17 public sector universities across the province. The move is aimed at reorganizing academic resources and improving institutional efficiency.
Earlier, Provincial Minister for Higher and School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat confirmed the plan, stating that the government intends to outsource commerce colleges along with nearly 50 general colleges with low enrolment. He shared the announcement through a video message on social media.
Universities Asked to Prepare Feasibility Reports
According to official sources, the Punjab government has formally written to the vice chancellors of 17 public universities, instructing them to take administrative control of commerce colleges located within their respective regions.
In a letter dated December 18, the vice chancellors were asked to submit detailed feasibility reports for an initial period of one year. These reports must include academic planning, proposed degree programmes, market-oriented courses, employment relevance, resource utilization, and clear implementation timelines.
List of Universities Involved
The universities assigned to prepare feasibility reports include:
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University of the Punjab
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Government College University Lahore
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Government College University Faisalabad
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University of Sargodha
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Islamia University Bahawalpur
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Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan
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Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi
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University of Gujrat
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University of Sahiwal
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University of Kamalia
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University of Rasul, Mandi Bahauddin
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Government College Women University Sialkot
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Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan
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Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering & IT, Rahim Yar Khan
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Thal University Bhakkar
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Information Technology University
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UET Taxila
Background of Earlier Mergers
This proposal follows steps taken in 2024, when the HED merged all commerce colleges into general colleges, including eight women’s commerce colleges. Districts affected included Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Chiniot, Sialkot, Narowal, and Rajanpur.
The earlier merger impacted over 400 teachers and thousands of students, who were later shifted to general education colleges.
Concerns Raised by Educators
The Commerce Professors and Lecturers Association has strongly opposed the latest proposal, calling it part of a broader outsourcing and restructuring policy that could weaken specialized commerce education.
While the government argues that the move will streamline resources and enhance efficiency, teachers and students fear that dedicated commerce education may be compromised, potentially affecting academic quality and career prospects.
