Pakistan's higher education system is facing intense criticism from analysts who describe the current state of universities as dysfunctional.
The crisis reflects a deeper collapse of public trust in academic institutions. If the government fails to address these governance failures, the country risks a prolonged intellectual decline and a workforce unable to compete globally.
Analysts have suggested that universities should be shut down entirely to facilitate a total systemic overhaul. The criticism centers on alleged mismanagement and governance failures within both individual universities and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar was appointed chairman of the HEC in February 2026 [1]. His appointment followed a period of instability, coming six months after the tenure of the previous chairman ended [2].
The HEC is tasked with regulating and funding higher education across the country. However, the agency now stands at the center of a debate regarding the quality of degrees and the legitimacy of research produced within the state's borders. Critics said the system has become a joke, citing a lack of accountability and a failure to maintain academic standards.
While some international commentary has discussed crises in higher education globally, the current turmoil in Pakistan is specific to its own internal regulatory and administrative failures [3]. The demand for reform is driven by the belief that the existing structures are too corrupted by mismanagement to be saved through incremental changes.
Government officials have not yet announced a formal plan to close institutions, but the pressure from analysts continues to mount as the HEC attempts to stabilize its leadership.
“Pakistan's higher education system is being criticised as dysfunctional.”
The appointment of a new HEC chairman after a six-month vacancy suggests a period of administrative paralysis. The calls for university closures indicate that critics no longer believe the system can be reformed from within, signaling a total breakdown in the relationship between the state's academic regulators and the public.
