The Punjab government has formed a 13-member committee to review proposals from public-sector universities regarding the commercialization of assets and public-private partnership projects, Dawn reported.
The move is aimed at developing a policy framework for implementing such initiatives in higher education institutions under the Punjab Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act, 2025.
According to a Higher Education Department notification cited in the report, the committee will examine the legal and financial requirements for commercialization and PPP initiatives. It will also review proposals submitted by public-sector universities and recommend a framework for their implementation.
The notification has been circulated among registrars of all public-sector universities in Punjab. The development suggests that the provincial government is exploring a greater role for the private sector in the management and use of university assets as part of efforts to improve the financial sustainability of higher education institutions.
The committee will be headed by the provincial finance minister as convener, while the provincial ministers for law and parliamentary affairs and higher education will serve as co-conveners.
Other members include the chairman of the Planning and Development Board, the senior member of the Board of Revenue, secretaries of the higher education, finance, school education and law departments, the chief executive officer of the Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority, the managing director of the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority, and the chairperson and chief operating officer of the Punjab Higher Education Commission.
Under its terms of reference, the committee will conduct a detailed review of university proposals related to asset commercialization and PPP projects. It will also prepare a standardized policy for the commercial use of land and assets owned by public-sector universities.
The panel has also been asked to review the existing 2016 policy framework in light of the Punjab Public Private Partnership Act, 2025.
The committee will formulate a policy framework to ensure that university-led PPP projects remain aligned with the academic mandate and institutional priorities of higher education institutions. Its recommendations will be submitted to the provincial cabinet for consideration.
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