The sacking of a principal

Ever since Pakistani brand of democracy crept into this land, principles, ethics<br /> are sacrificed at altar of pragmatism

Some readers of The Express Tribune might have seen the news item or caught a glimpse of the event on a local TV channel. I am referring to the sacking of Dr Agha Ghazanfar, the principal of Aitchison College in Lahore by the board of governors. To justify its action, the board came up with a 200-page report which described “irreconcilable differences” between the accusers and the accused.

What Dr Ghazanfar had done, and that too, in a country where almost all institutions have been destroyed, was to refuse to kowtow to the board. Instead, he had turned down the enrolment of grandsons of the National Assembly Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, arguably the richest man in Pakistan Mian Mansha and the former governor of Punjab Makhdum Ahmed Mahmud. The reason? The lads had produced exceptionally low marks and failed the entrance test. His supporters believe that Dr Ghazanfar belongs to that fast dwindling tribe in the land of the pure that is still trying to uphold whatever traditions were bequeathed to us by our forefathers. He must have wondered why children of highly privileged individuals, who have all the facilities within their reach, perform so miserably in academic pursuits. But he was not going to play a part in destroying an institution that has been run strictly on professional lines.

Ever since the Pakistani brand of democracy crept into this beleaguered land, principles and ethics have been sacrificed at the altar of pragmatism, while threats, intimidation and misuse of official position have been the order of the day. I am sure Senator Raza Rabbani would agree. And so would my friend Aitzaz Ahsan. Dr Ghazanfar shouldn’t worry. A man with his integrity and sense of discipline will be quickly absorbed elsewhere. But I am sure when he took a last lingering look at the building designed by Bhai Ram Singh and built by Sir Ganga Ram, which was inaugurated in 1886 by the Viceroy of India, the Earl of Dufferin, and administered by Sir Charles U Aitchison, he would have left on a note of sadness. Aitchison College will survive like the rest of the country which is currently being run by people similar to the board of directors that removed Dr Ghazanfar.



However, the saga has not as yet ended. There has been a counter-attack. The Lahore High Court issued notices last week to the Punjab government and others for August 27 on a writ petition challenging the appointment of the board of governors of Aitchison College and changes made in the school’s admission policy. Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza issued the order on a petition filed by Sarah Khan and some former students of Aitchison. The charge was pretty straightforward. According to the counsel, the 19-strong board of governors had not been appointed in accordance with merit. What is more, it had changed the admission policy of the school and had abolished various quotas. Under the new policy, chances of admission for students from other cities had decreased.

In short, it was alleged that the policy change was illegal and contrary to the long-standing traditions of the school. Apparently, out of the 75 students that had been admitted in June, 47 had failed the entrance test. It was also pointed out that the admission policy was in conflict with Article 25-A of the Constitution. It remains to be seen what the judges do. Will they annul all decisions taken by the current board, and tell the college authorities to review their admission lists in accordance with the policy that previously existed? Or will they just set aside the appointment of the new board members? They will know what to do.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2015.

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