Six Punjab Universities Seek Name-Change Law Repeal
The vice chancellors of six Punjab universities have urged the provincial government to repeal an amendment that strips the word “University” from their names, warning that the change could damage their international standing, research records and graduates’ degree verification.
The vice chancellors met Higher Education Department Secretary Ghulam Fareed on Friday and submitted a representation to the Speaker’s office, seeking immediate repeal of the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act, 2026.
In their joint representation, available with Dawn, the heads of the six institutions said the change had been introduced without consulting the universities’ stakeholders. They warned it would cause academic, legal and reputational complications without offering any tangible benefit. Students, faculty members and other stakeholders were deeply concerned, they said, because the move could undermine an institutional identity built over more than two decades.
Which Punjab universities are affected
The representation has been signed by the vice chancellors of Government College University, Lahore; Lahore College for Women University; Government College University Faisalabad; Government College Women University Faisalabad; Government College Women University Sialkot; and Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur.
The Punjab government, through amendments to the Public Sector Universities Act, 2026, restored the former college names of the six institutions and directed them to drop the word “University” from their titles.
Under a notification issued by the Higher Education Department on October 23, the institutions will henceforth be known as Government College Lahore, Lahore College for Women Lahore, Government College Faisalabad, Government College for Women Faisalabad, Government College for Women Sialkot and Government Sadiq College, Bahawalpur.
The notification said the revised nomenclature had been introduced under the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act XXIII of 2026), published in the Punjab Gazette on May 6. It clarified that the institutions’ higher education mandate and functions would remain unchanged.
Why the vice chancellors object
The vice chancellors argue that the names adopted when the colleges were upgraded and reconstituted in 2002 deliberately retained their historical association while recognising their new status as universities. Since then, the institutions have developed a distinct academic identity, with research publications, international collaborations, doctoral programmes, research grants and representation in international university rankings.
They warned that changing the names could fragment the institutions’ academic records across international databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ORCID and Crossref. Publications, citations, rankings, research collaborations and institutional affiliations are recorded under the existing names and would not automatically transfer to the revised nomenclature.
The change could also create difficulties in the verification and recognition of degrees by foreign regulators, employers and immigration authorities, including organisations such as World Education Services (WES) and ECCTIS, they added. Graduates, students and employees hold academic credentials, professional registrations, appointments and other records under the existing institutional names and would face complications in establishing continuity of their qualifications and affiliations.
A question of consultation
The vice chancellors also questioned the absence of consultation before the legislation was passed. They said neither the affected institutions nor, to their knowledge, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan had been consulted about the implications of the proposed changes.
That point is central to their case. A name change that looks administrative on paper can carry real costs when degrees are checked abroad, research is cited in global databases, or employers verify a qualification. The vice chancellors say those consequences were never assessed before the amendment became law. Other provinces have taken a different path: the Sindh government has provided Rs48 billion in grants to its universities.
Punjab’s education sector has seen rapid change in recent months. The province has rolled out a smart syllabus for classes 9 to 12, and universities have been drawn into national efforts such as the cybersecurity partnership between NCERT and the HEC. Against that background, the vice chancellors argue that renaming six established universities pulls in the opposite direction.
What the vice chancellors want
They urged the Punjab Assembly to repeal the amendment and restore the statutory names under which the institutions had operated since their upgrade in 2002.
Alternatively, they requested suspension of the amendment and an independent assessment of its legal, academic and reputational consequences, besides hearings involving vice chancellors, students, alumni and faculty members.
The representation was also forwarded to the chief minister, the Punjab governor, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the Punjab Higher Education Commission for information and necessary action.
The ball is now with the Punjab government. The vice chancellors have asked for repeal, or at least a pause and a proper hearing. For thousands of students and graduates whose degrees carry these names, the answer will decide how their qualifications are read at home and abroad.
Which six universities are affected?
Government College University Lahore, Lahore College for Women University, Government College University Faisalabad, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Government College Women University Sialkot and Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur.
What did the Punjab government change?
Through the Public Sector Universities (Amendment) Act, 2026, the government restored the institutions’ former college names and directed them to drop the word “University” from their titles.
Why do the vice chancellors oppose the change?
They warn it could fragment academic records in databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar, and create problems in degree verification by foreign regulators, employers and immigration authorities such as WES and ECCTIS.
What have the vice chancellors asked for?
They have asked the Punjab Assembly to repeal the amendment and restore the names used since 2002, or alternatively to suspend it pending an independent assessment and hearings with stakeholders.
