Undercutting Aitchison

The circumstances surrounding the resignation of Aitchison College’s principal are another illustration of how little the country’s lawmakers think of the law. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema or his wife — depending on who you believe — went out of their way to use their connections to the Punjab Governor to get a rule change to accommodate their sons.

The story started a few years ago, when the Cheemas moved from Lahore to Islamabad after Ahad was appointed advisor to the PM in the PDM government and his wife was posted there. The Cheemas moved their kids to Islamabad but wanted to reserve their spots in the prestigious school. The Cheemas’ main early argument was a school policy requiring that they pay fees to retain their children’s spots, arguing they could not afford to do so. But if the Cheemas were so concerned with their children’s education, they should have done what millions of parents around the world have done throughout history — sacrifice their own interests for their children. Given his connections, Ahad could easily have gotten himself a good job in Lahore, and existing government rules would have allowed his wife to stay with him. Otherwise, there are excellent schools in Islamabad that could also set up the Cheema boys for success in adulthood.

Despite several rounds of inconclusive debate at the college board, the governor’s office unilaterally ordered a rule change and revoked the Cheema boys’ expulsion. Cheema says the new policy would not be newsworthy if he were not involved. But the fact is that he was involved, and he will benefit from a policy that came about after some three years of intense debate among the college administration, its BoG, and the governor’s office. Would the policy be debated repeatedly for that long if it were someone else’s kids?

What transpired reeks of a power play — a refusal to accept no for an answer. How much blame lies at the feet of the Cheemas, the governor, and his staff is debatable, but it is unacceptable to blame the widely acclaimed principal for his scrupulous equal enforcement of the rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2024.

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