LUMS apologises to Asad Umar after his talk was cancelled for 'breaching agreed policy'

University explains the talk cancelled after posters were put up suggesting his talk was political than educational

LAHORE: The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) on Tuesday apologised to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Asad Umar for cancelling his scheduled talk at the university following what it described as posters which breached agreed policy.

The Lahore based university in its apology note to Umar on its website said that permission had been granted to the varsity’s Law and Politics society for hosting an event featuring Umar about “his journey from the corporate sector to politics.”

However, from posters of the event that were put up around campus, it appeared that the event had been converted "primarily into a political rather than educational event in breach of the agreed policy," the statement read.

This prompted the administration to cancel the event.

“LUMS regrets the inconvenience caused to Asad Umar by the cancellation of the event. LUMS also recognises that it would have been preferable to contact Umar prior to the cancellation so as to clarify the nature of his speech," the university explained.

It then offered to host Umar again, "albeit in accordance with our policies regarding public events.”

The PTI leader had on Monday tweeted about the cancellation of his event at LUMS.

After the event had been cancelled on Monday evening, Umar had taken to the social media site Twitter, where he has over 635,000 followers, to vent his disbelief.

Umar noted that he had served as a member of LUMS board of trustees for five years, but suddenly he had been told by the university's vice chancellor that he could not come to the university to speak and was allegedly a threat to campus’ peace.

Instead, he invited potential participants to Lalik Chowk in Lahore on Tuesday evening to hear him speak.

was supposed to speak at LUMS tomorrow at the invitation of law and politics society which has been cancelled by the VC this evening !!!

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 10, 2014

all requisite approvals had been taken from the relevant authorities and despite that the event has been cancelled at the last minute. Sad

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 10, 2014

the most ironic part is that I served on the board of trustees of LUMS for five years and now suddenly i am a threat to campus peace:)

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 10, 2014

He also claimed that there was no new date for a lecture, and tweeted "vice chancellor has said i cannot come to LUMS to speak".

@QaziJamil no new date....vice chancellor has said i cannot come to LUMS to speak

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 10, 2014

He also invited students interested in going to his seminar to go to Lalik Chowk.

So now those who were planning to attend the LUMS seminar should come to lalik chowk at eight pm tomorrow

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 10, 2014