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LAHORE: Aitchison College Principal Michael Thomson on Thursday withdrew his resignation and would continue with his work in the college.
Mr Thomson had tendered his resignation on Wednesday allegedly under pressure from political circles for taking disciplinary action against some students.
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar called Mr Thomson and held meeting at his office to convince him to withdraw his resignation. Mr Thomson announced taking back his resignation after meeting with the governor.
Mr Sarwar said the government believed in merit and admissions in educational institutions should be made on merit-based criterion.
He said Aitchison College’s organisational sanctity and repute would be maintained at every cost and asked Mr Thomson to continue with his work without any influence. He said the Governor House would continue to support him and the institution.
According to reports, the principal was facing pressure from the Board of Governors of the college to give admission to son of former MNA Kashmala Tariq in A-level.
Ms Tariq’s son Azlan Khan, an O-level student, and his 11 other classmates were expelled from the institution by the discipline committee after a minor scuffle with fellow students.
A video of the incident posted on different social media websites and aired by news channels showed that some 12 students had a minor scuffle with two other students and Ms Tariq’s son could be seen standing in the group.
The college administration had given the 11 students admission in A-level and turned down request of Azlan Khan, who had won several national and international swimming championships.
Meanwhile, the family and friends of Ms Tariq had announced protest outside the Governor House on Sept 16 against the college administration for not giving admission to Azlan Khan.
Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2018
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Comments (39) Closed
Sep 14, 2018 09:36am
Endorse Governor Sarwar's timely actions and appreciate Mr. Thomson's bold stance. We expect to see more such steps by Mr. Sarwar in the days to come.
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Sep 14, 2018 09:48am
Great that Governor held meeting with the Principal. He needed such support. Bravo
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Sep 14, 2018 09:49am
Political influentials should have nothing to do at all with day to day business of educational institutions. If they are parents of school kids, they should behave with decorum not try to exploit academic matters for any gains.
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Sep 14, 2018 09:52am
Merit should never be over looked. Kashmala and her son needs to behave, otherwise they should face consequences.
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Sep 14, 2018 10:38am
Gone are the days when you were minister under different governance where push and pull prevailed over the merit and poor merited were ignored and instead rich and politically strong prevailed over and none dared to object unless and until he or she was his or her own enemy. Now none but Imran Khan in PM who not only believes in merit but also professes the same. Now let me advise Kashmala that she can protest in front of Governor House but her son will not be taken back even if the protest spread all over Pakistan from east to west or south to north. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi
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Sep 14, 2018 10:58am
There are many other schools which are also good. Why waste so much time and effort on this issue.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:27am
The report reads like Kasmala Tariq's son was quite innocent ....... If so why would he be thrown out ..... something is not clear.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:34am
Any protests should lead to permanent denial.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:38am
The principal's decision should be final. Ms Kashmala Tariq should have stopped her son from disorderly behaviour. They are thinking it is still PML- N era. It's not.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:41am
Bravo! Excellent work by the principal Mr. Michael Thomson and Governor Sarwar. We citizens must stand together and bring these puffed-up influentials down from the privileged seclusion of their ivory towers. Salams
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Sep 14, 2018 11:55am
Can we just sell off Aitchison College? Still producing the ruling elites for us and contributing heavily to the treacherous liberal Pakistani brain drain diaspora after all these years. Just like the Brits want.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:11pm
So the Governement has decided to end the Danish School System. Whereas the schools of the rich are now a one call away from the Governer and the CM. Why not end the school system for the rich just like you did with Danish Schools?. Why not close Atchison just like you have decided to close the Danish schools?.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:12pm
This institute has to come under either Federal or Provincial education department. This so called elite institute has to stop receiving any funding from the government as those studying here are rich enough to pay ALL their fee.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:16pm
Well done Governor Sarwar.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:30pm
Good Job bt Governor these Corrupt peole should not be entertained
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Sep 14, 2018 12:42pm
Why we tend to make everything political
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Sep 14, 2018 12:54pm
The relevant students should be expelled out of this college, this is the time to set an example for irrelevant unneeded future political interference.
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Sep 14, 2018 01:16pm
Why parents defends if your children doing some thing illegal and wrong
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Sep 14, 2018 01:19pm
Looks like Kashmala is feeling the tabdeeli..which she obviously doesn't like.
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Sep 14, 2018 01:20pm
Kashmala Tariq is public office holder -
Ombudsman against Women Harresment, if she found involved in influencing BoG in the case, must be removed from public office. Appreciate Governor's action.
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Sep 14, 2018 01:26pm
Finally one good move against the entrenched elite. Ms Kashmala Tariq should also be removed from position of Ombudsman as her decisions are clearly not respecting merit and justice.
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Sep 14, 2018 01:42pm
The matter is politicized because the student was the son of an influential lady. Our institution have aldready deteriorated due political interference. Let some sense prevail and save what is left.
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Sep 14, 2018 02:12pm
The fact of the matter is that it's very hard if not impossible for academics, scholars and professors to teach, research and do community service in South Asian countries in general and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in particular, in an independent, free, fair and cordial fashion without facing and being exposed to outside intimidations as well as undue internal and external pressures.
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Sep 14, 2018 02:13pm
Who is this Kashmala Tariq and what’s her public service record and source of her assumed sense of self importance? Yes, we all know and have heard that well known ‘telephonic conversation’ of sorts and that she has been resident of parliamentarians lodge without being herself a member of our parliament. If on the basis of such ‘connections’ she throws her weight around in public then she needs to be told that normally people with such ‘connections’ keep low profile if not hide away.
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Sep 14, 2018 02:42pm
Kashmala Tariq's son involved in rowdyism? Not surprised. Lesson must be taught and sanctity of the institution must be preserved, much more by its ex-student Imran Khan, now the PM.
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Sep 14, 2018 03:10pm
great action by governor, this is tabdeeli
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Sep 14, 2018 03:18pm
That is very great indeed but, if the boy is a bright student? Can't he be given a second chance?
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Sep 14, 2018 03:35pm
The Chaudries and Waderas of Pakistan think that they own the nation and continue their thuggery in the country without any resistance from the nation. It is from a foreign national running the institution to show the rule of the law to these thugs.
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Sep 14, 2018 03:40pm
Political influence have always been a menace for this country.
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Sep 14, 2018 04:21pm
This raises more questions than it answers. Why were the other 11 given admission and Azlan Khan, who this report says didn't assault the victims, denied admission?
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Sep 14, 2018 04:50pm
@Khurram Bright?. Brights don't act unbright.
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Sep 14, 2018 05:39pm
Political influence is part of our daily lives; let's accept this fact and move on. If that were not the case, we would not have lost three international repute from the economic advisory committee in recent days. Another recent example is cricket, where family members and relatives of chief selector have been selected over many talented cricketers!
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Sep 14, 2018 10:22pm
@IQBAL HADI ZAIDI
Mr. IQBAL HADI ZAIDI,
Correct.
Hope, merit will prevail.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:01pm
Had he not Kashmala Tariq son, the incidence would have gone unnoticed. To maintain discipline the action of the Principal should be upheld at all cost.
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Sep 14, 2018 11:10pm
Very bad decision by the governor Punjab and some the ministers not to approve the resignation of Aitchison College Principal. Aitchison College is the 57th company of the Punjab whose principal is getting around 22 lac rupees salary and the whole salary is laundering to Australia without any tax deduction. If you see the facts the whole bunch (3in total) goras are getting around 50 lac rupees per month and this huge amount is being laundered. Previous Principal's salary was 8.5 lac and he was removed because he refused to take grandsons of Mian Mansha, Ayaz Sadiq and Yousaf Raza Gillani in College out of merit. Is this the change we are looking for? Disappointment...
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Sep 15, 2018 04:05am
@Parvez agreed, I am confused aswell, minor scuffle, he was seen standing in the video, 11 other students were given admission but he was turned down, he has won several national and international champion ships etc etc all above indicate Mr Thompson was wrong???
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Sep 15, 2018 05:44am
We must defer to the judgement of the Honorable Michael Thomson. He seems like an honorable man and it is nice of him to withdraw his resignation.
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Sep 16, 2018 11:25am
Finally, some merit
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Sep 16, 2018 01:14pm
Naya Pakistan. Well done Mr Sarwar
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