Punjab University deans' appointments unlawful

After CM's objection: Governor's decision on PU deans reverted
Lahore, Apr 22: Governor's decision to appoint two Punjab University faculty deans was reverted just two days after a formal notification, as the chief minister objected and termed the appointments unlawful, which were reportedly made while keeping him in the dark.

The Punjab University administration had reportedly sent a summary for the appointment of deans of faculties of the pharmacy and the oriental learning. Governor Salmaan Taseer approved the appointment of Prof Dr Bashir Ahmad as dean of pharmacy faculty and Prof Dr Mazhar Moeen as dean of Oriental Learning faculty.

The PU administration, consequently, issued a notification actualising the governor's orders and put up pictures of the two teachers as respective faculty deans on its website www.pu.edu.pk. Though the notification has been withdrawn, the website still regarded them as deans till the filing of this report late on Wednesday night.

It is learnt that as soon as the PU administration issued the notification for deans' appointment and communicated to all concerned, the Punjab higher education department on behalf of the chief minister objected to the decision referring it as unconstitutional and unlawful.

The higher education department in its letter to the university stated that the deans' appointment had been made without consulting the chief minister, which was against the spirit of law. The department stated that any summary regarding deans' appointment should have been routed through the higher education department, the chief minister and then to the governor's office. It was stated that the governor was bound to take an advice from the chief minister in this case.

Consequently, the PU cancelled its notification regarding deans' appointment and had now again sent a panel of three senior professors each from both pharmacy and Oriental Learning faculties to the higher education department through proper channel.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the higher education department had also taken PU's action of sending summary to the governor directly as a bid to keep the department and the chief minister in the dark.

It is learnt that the higher education department was planning to take up this issue on the agenda of the Higher Education Council and direct universities to observe proper channels.

PU MSc IT exams
Lahore: The Punjab University has announced that the MSc Information Technology first year annual examination for 2009 will begin from April 29.

The last date for the submission of admission forms and fee has been fixed as April 22.

Copyrights Day at PU
Lahore: The Punjab University library is planning various initiatives to celebrate the World Book and Copyrights Day on April 23 (tomorrow).

The day will be celebrated to create awareness among the students community about the importance of reading, books and libraries in the development of society and nation.

For this purpose, the library management is distributing promotion posters to create awareness of the day in varsity's teaching departments and their students.

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Teachers hold rally, sit-in
Lahore: The Punjab Teachers Union and the Joint Action Committee of Teachers, Punjab, on Wednesday jointly staged a protest demonstration, a walk and a sit-in on The Mall to condemn the provincial government for its "excesses" against schoolteachers.

Following a protest meeting at Nasser Bagh, the teachers carrying banners and placards bearing inscriptions regarding issues confronting the teachers community marched on The Mall up to Masjid-i-Shuhada, where they staged a sit in.

They demanded that their genuine demands should be met by April 27, otherwise they would set up a token hunger strike camp in front of the Punjab Assembly on April 28.

Addressing the protest gathering at Nasser Bagh, speakers Rana Muhammad Arshad, Rana Liaquat, Tariq Zaidi, Syed Sajjad Kazmi and others said the government had gone to the last extent to screw teachers' community as it failed to ease out teachers in this era of unbridled price-hike, ever-increasing utility bills and inflation.

They said the teachers would jam the academic activity in schools if the government tried to retire undergraduate teachers.

They alleged that the government was hoodwinking teachers in the name of the pay and pension commission.

They said prices of all household items were rapidly increasing, while the government had failed to bridge the gap by increasing teachers' salaries.Speakers said the government must strengthen teachers' financial position if it truly wanted to raise the literacy rate.

They alleged that the bureaucracy was making policies to insult teachers and demanded that primary schools should be brought out from the local government system because political interference had destroyed the educational system in schools.

Teachers' leaders said teachers were feeling inferiority complex because they were constantly being denied their right of promotion as well as performance allowances.

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UET Taxila given relief in loadshedding
Taxila: The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Taxila has been exempted from loadshedding during academic hours, it has been learnt.

Sources said here on Wednesday that the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) took the decision, though not officially notified, after taking notice of the prolonged loadshedding in the university campus especially during academic hours and blockade of G.T Road by the students in a protest against the Iesco authorities a few days ago.

The sources said the Iesco authorities had reduced the power suspension time to six hours from 10 hours per day.

"Loadshedding would be observed only during the evening time and on holidays at the university campus," said an Iesco official.

He said the company had taken the step as the university failed to make alternative arrangements for uninterrupted power supply.

When contacted, Superintendent Engineer (SE) Taxila/Attock circle Malik Mohammad Riaz confirmed that the Iesco authorities had given some relief to the students of the university during their classes.

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GCU team visits Iqbal's mausoleum
Lahore: A delegation of the Government College University's Majlas-i-Iqbal on Wednesday visited the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal on his 72nd death anniversary.

The delegation comprising a large number of GCU students and teachers laid a floral wreath at the Mazar-i-Iqbal and paid a tribute to the services the great poet rendered for Muslims.

Naatia Mushaira:
The GCU Arabic Society organised a Naatia Mushaira in which a large number of poets presented their 'Kalam' to pay homage to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).

Poet and distinguish Prof Dr Khursheedul Hasan Rizvi presided over the mushaira and Khwaja Ghulam Katabuddin Faridi was the chief guest.

Poets, including Prof Ramzan Shakir, Dr Naheed Shahid, Muhammad Abbas Mirza, Syed Tariq Husain Zaidi, Ali Asghar Abbas, Qaim Naqvi and Muhammad Shahzad, presented their poetry.

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Paintings' contest
Lahore: The Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) organised a paintings competition and an exhibition on recycling at the Children Library Complex on Wednesday in connection with the World Earth Day.

Students from 50 public and private sector schools, including special education, participated in the activity.

Objectives of the activity are to make the youth aware of the importance of the earth day, identify the means and ways to move the 'green generations', highlight the importance of recycling in reducing the volume of waste, minimising environment problems, and protection of environment for children.

Punjab Environment Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana will award cash prizes and certificates to position holders in each category on Thursday. Dawn

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