The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has stopped 13 universities to admit students in the programs of higher education, M.Phil and Ph.D. distance learning. The main cause of this ban is the failure to act upon the rules and commands set by HEC.

The faculty of these universities could not meet the requirements as there were no enough faculty members, the HEC officials found out after a visit of these campuses.  

The decision will affect around 4,000 students but the HEC has directed the respective institutions to move these students to the regular programmes of the universities.

Here is the list of 13 universities which have been banned by the Higher Education Commission;

International Islamic University, Islamabad;

Virtual Campus, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad,

• University of Peshawar, Peshawar;
• Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan;
• Government College University, Faisalabad;
• University of Agriculture, Faisalabad;
• The University of Faisalabad;
• Islamia University, Bahawalpur;
• Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan;
• Sukkur IBA;
• Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur;
• University of Sindh, Jamshoro and
• University of Balochistan, Quetta.

“Further admissions in any of the distance education programs being offered by universities are stopped immediately till finalisation of recommendation by the committee,” a letter read sent by HEC to the universities.

HEC has to finalise a policy regarding distance learning and the rules and regulations for the distance learning are same as for the regular programmes. Around 70,000 students are enrolled in distance learning programmes in different universities of Pakistan.