LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) is considering a major restructuring of commerce education by proposing the transfer of around 76 public sector commerce colleges across the province to 17 public sector universities, according to official sources.
The move is being viewed by academics and education stakeholders as part of the department’s broader policy on restructuring and outsourcing public sector colleges, particularly those offering commerce-related programmes. It follows an earlier announcement by Provincial Minister for Higher and School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, who said in a video message that public sector commerce colleges, along with around 50 general colleges with low enrolment, would be outsourced.
Sources said the Punjab government has formally written to vice chancellors of 17 public universities, asking them to take over commerce colleges located within their respective regions. In a letter issued on December 18, the universities were directed to submit detailed feasibility reports for an initial period of one year.
The feasibility reports are expected to cover academic planning, proposed degree programmes, market-oriented and employment-linked courses, resource utilisation, and implementation timelines. The aim, officials say, is to align commerce education more closely with market needs and improve the overall performance of institutions that have reportedly struggled with low enrolment and limited academic output.
Universities asked to prepare the reports include the University of the Punjab, Government College University Lahore, Government College University Faisalabad, University of Sargodha, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi, University of Gujrat, University of Sahiwal, Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan, and several others across Punjab.
Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah described the proposal as a positive development, stating that public assets were being transferred to public institutions rather than privatised entities. He said many commerce colleges were not functioning effectively and could perform better under university supervision. According to him, the colleges would operate as constituent colleges under university charters, similar to Hailey College of Commerce, while existing academic programmes would continue alongside new business and commerce courses.
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Prof Shah added that existing faculty and staff would be transferred to the universities, with additional recruitment planned where required. He said the government had also indicated that funding would be provided to help subsidise student fees.
In a letter issued on Dec 18, the VCs were asked to submit detailed feasibility reports for an initial one-year period.https://t.co/G2LMZwE7zS
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 24, 2025
However, critics, including representatives of the Commerce Professors and Lecturers Association, have opposed the proposal, describing it as a step towards privatisation and outsourcing. They have expressed concerns that specialised commerce education may be diluted and that staff and students could face uncertainty.
The proposal follows earlier steps taken in 2024, when the HED merged commerce colleges into general colleges in several districts, affecting hundreds of teachers and thousands of students. While the government maintains that the restructuring is aimed at streamlining resources and improving efficiency, the latest plan has reignited debate over the future of public sector commerce education in Punjab.
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