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The federal government has announced plans to establish five new public‑sector universities across the country, allocating a total of over Rs. 9 billion in the forthcoming 2025‑26 Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). According to documents obtained by TechJuice, these institutions span Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit‑Baltistan (formerly FATA) and Balochistan, reflecting a concerted effort to broaden access to higher education in underserved regions.
Under the proposed PSDP allocations:
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University of Sahiwal has been earmarked Rs. 1.37 billion. Initially approved by the Development Working Party (DDWP) in 2020, the project is expected to augment Punjab’s university network and serve thousands of students in the fertile Sahiwal district.
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Women University Bagh in Azad Jammu and Kashmir will receive Rs. 1.80 billion. First green‑lit by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in 2016, this institution aims to empower women across the region through expanded academic and research opportunities.
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FATA (now Gilgit‑Baltistan) University is set to obtain Rs. 1.76 billion. Approved by the CDWP in 2015, the campus will provide much‑needed higher‑education infrastructure to the formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
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University of Chitral has been allocated Rs. 1.72 billion. Like Sahiwal, its proposal passed DDWP scrutiny in 2020, and it is poised to become a centre of learning in the mountainous north‑west.
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University of Gwadar leads the pack with Rs. 2.49 billion in funding. Endorsed by the CDWP in 2022, the Gwadar campus is envisaged as a strategic hub to complement the city’s burgeoning role in the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Taken together, these five projects underscore the government’s commitment to decentralising higher education and fostering regional development. By investing in campuses from Punjab’s plains to Balochistan’s coastal belt, policymakers aim not only to relieve pressure on existing universities but also to stimulate local economies, create academic jobs and curb student migration to major urban centres. But again, with these ambitious plans, on ground implementation is the key to move forward with Pakistan’s education landscape.
The PSDP—Pakistan’s flagship annual development plan—will be tabled alongside the federal budget this month that is to be announced on June 10, where legislators will debate these allocations before final approval. If endorsed, construction and expansion work on all five campuses is slated to begin later this year, with phased admissions expected as early as the 2026 academic session.
