Pa Protest: ‘Make public report of Rs1.5b PU irregularities’

Punjab University's irregularities worth Rs1.5 billion at the university be made public.

LAHORE:

Punjab University teachers and employees protested outside the Punjab Assembly on Friday, demanding that Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran be removed and that an alleged standing committee report about irregularities worth Rs1.5 billion at the university be made public. PU Academic Association President Dr Mahar Saeed Akhtar, who led the protests, said that the PA standing committee report had been completed two months ago but was being kept secret. He said that the Public Accounts Committee had also ordered a special audit of the PU’s accounts from 2008 to 2010. “The vice chancellor should be removed from his post immediately,” he said.

Punjab University’s Teachers Front President Dr Shaukat Ali dismissed the protestors as “a few expelled students, backed by disgruntled elements”. He said the protestors were trying to “misguide” MPAs by handing out “malicious” leaflets.

He said that under Vice Chancellor Kamran, the university had risen to fourth in the national rankings and made rapid progress. He did not mention the committee reports.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2011.