PEF Teachers to Get Overdue Salaries as Punjab Releases Rs14 Billion Budget

Punjab's Finance Department has released a Rs14 billion budget for the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), ending a prolonged wait for thousands of teachers attached to PEF partner schools. The released funds include the amount earmarked for teacher salaries, and relevant authorities have begun preparations to disburse the overdue payments.

Punjab Finance Department Approves Rs14 Billion for PEF

The Punjab Finance Department has formally released a budget of Rs14 billion for the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), a move that is expected to bring relief to thousands of teachers working in PEF-affiliated partner schools across the province who have gone without pay for an extended period.

According to sources familiar with the development, the newly released funds specifically include the amount allocated for PEF teachers' salaries. With the budget now in hand, education authorities are expected to move forward with disbursing the pending payments in the coming days.

Salary Disbursement Process Set to Begin

Following the release of funds by the Finance Department, officials at the relevant departments have already started preparations to process the salary payments. Teachers linked to PEF partner schools had been waiting for a considerable period as delays in fund transfers left many without income, adding to financial pressure on households that depend on these salaries.

The release of the Rs14 billion budget marks a significant step toward resolving this backlog, and officials say the disbursement process is now being actively pursued to ensure teachers receive their dues without further delay.

Background: PEF Partner Schools and Student Verification Concerns

The development comes amid separate concerns already surrounding PEF's network of partner schools, where reports have surfaced that thousands of enrolled students across these institutions have not yet been verified through NADRA. This verification issue has been flagged as a separate but related challenge for the foundation, which relies on accurate student data to determine per-student funding disbursed to partner schools.

PEF operates on a public-private partnership model, providing per-student funding to thousands of partner schools across Punjab to support free and quality education for children from low-income households. Timely release of funds from the government directly affects the foundation's ability to pay partner schools, which in turn determines whether teachers receive their salaries on schedule.

What This Means for Teachers

For teachers who have been waiting for their pay for a prolonged period, the release of this budget represents a much-needed financial relief. Many teachers linked to PEF schools depend entirely on these salaries to meet household expenses, and the delay had reportedly caused significant hardship.

With funds now released, the coming days will be closely watched to see how quickly the disbursement reaches teachers on the ground, particularly in districts where delays have historically been more pronounced.