Aitchison College principal resigns over differences with Punjab governor
LAHORE, (NNI): Principal of Lahore’s Aitchison College Michael A Thomson has resigned from his post after development differences with Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman.
In a goodbye letter to his staff, Principal Michael Thomson wrote that the Governor House’s “partial steps” have ruined the governance at the educational institution. “Amid extreme bad governance I have left no other choice but to leave as destructive changes are being made to the policies just to benefit a few people,” he added.
The principal was under mental stress after development differences with the governor over waiving fines imposed on a federal minister’s children.
In his letter to the staff, he penned “You all know what’s is going on at the board level. There is no room for politics and nepotism in the schools. Too much interference in the affairs of school being run successfully is unbelievable,” he added.
It may be mentioned here that Michael Thomson had also tendered his resignation in September 2018 but took it back after the-then governor, Muhammad Sarwar, persuaded him to do so. He had resigned then allegedly under pressure from political circles for taking disciplinary action against some students.
As per earlier reports, Federal Minister Ahad Cheema's family requested not to charge fees during the holidays due to shifting to Islamabad, Principal Aitchison College Michael Thomson rejected the request for a fee waiver, but the Governor House Secretariat by using their powers issued a notification to waive the fee.
On the other hand, Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman has stated that Aitchison College fee waiver of Federal Minister Ahad Cheema’s children has brought to the fore the issue of fee waiver in Aitchison in a different manner.
Baligh-ur-Rehman said that the fee waiver of Ahad Cheema’s children was waived for not studying at Aitchison College.
Ahad Cheema and his wife shifted to Islamabad; the children had discontinued their education in Aitchison.
They waived the fee notice they received despite their children not studying at Aitchison College and shifting to Islamabad.
The Governor is making a law not to charge fees after any student leaves school.