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Sale of banned multinational cold drinks at PU & IJT
Lahore, Feb 11, 2008: The sale of multinational cold drinks, which had been banned in
the Punjab University for many years by a student group, has started at the
varsity's main cafeteria. However, the administration has yet to ensure the
availability of these drinks at the varsity's hostels and other canteens.
According to the details, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) student wing Islami
Jamiat Talaba (IJT) had banned the products of multinational companies,
especially cold drinks, at university's both campuses and hostels, and students
had no choice but to consume locally produced soft drinks.
PU students
had raised their concern over the discrimination on several occasions and the
same was widely reported in the press but to no avail. Even the previous PU
administration, under the VCship of Lt Gen (r) Arshad Mahmood, could not ensure
availability of multinational soft drinks for its students at the university.
According to the sources, the new administration, under the VCship of
Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, took up the matter seriously following it received
strict instructions from Chancellor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool in this regard a
couple of weeks ago.
A PU official, on condition of anonymity, said that the administration had vowed to end Jamiat's hegemony in the
university, adding a strategy had been evolved according to which JI student
wing would be dealt in different phases till its complete removal from the
campuses. He disclosed that a number of contracts of canteens and shops at the
Punjab University had been awarded to former IJT activists or Jamiat's
sympathisers in the past because of which the student wing succeeded to
establish its monopoly. "They (IJT activists) exploited the situation and earned
huge profits from local companies to strengthen their organisation financially",
he claimed, alleging "Some of these companies had been bearing the cost of
Jamiat's advertisement campaign". He alleged that some IJT activists threatened
the contractor of the main cafeteria of selling soft drinks of multinational
companies who had already informed the administration.
He further said
the new administration was reviewing the whole situation very carefully, adding
all those contracts would be cancelled soon which were either awarded to former
IJT activists or Jamiat's sympathisers. He said, in the next phase, the
administration would soon ensure availability of soft drinks of multinational
companies in other canteens and cafeterias at New Campus, Old Campus and
hostels.
PU Resident Officer (RO-I) Prof Dr Bashir
Ahmad said the availability of multinational cold drinks at Old Campus and other
small canteens and shops of New Campus and hostels would be ensured in the
coming days. He confirmed that some Jamiat activists had threatened the
contractor of the main cafeteria of starting the sale of these soft drinks,
adding, however, no body turned up when the administration became vigilant in
this regard. He also confirmed that some of the contracts had been awarded to
Jamiat sympathisers in the past, adding they exploited the situation and
deprived the students of their right of choice. He further said a report, in
connection with the start of sale of multinational soft drinks, had been sent to
the Chancellor.
PU chapter IJT nazim Zahid Naveed was not available
while he did not received calls despite repeated attempts.
PU to give benefits of BPS-19 to PhD lecturers
Lahore: The Punjab University has decided to give financial benefits of
BPS-19 to those 31 lecturers who have completed their PhD and probation period
and also those having ten years or more service in the varsity.
Vice
Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran issued the notifications D/990/Est I Dated
01-02-2008, D/945-53/Est I Dated 01-02-2008 and D/1084-92/Est I Dated 07-02-2008
in this regard.
According to the notifications, those lecturers, who
will get BPS-19 benefits after doing PhD, include Dr Kh Muhammad Saeed and Dr
Ali Ali Raza Tahir of Philosophy Department, Dr Muhammad Aamir Hashmi of
Institute of Education & Research, Dr Tehmina Anjum, Dr Arshad Javaid and Dr
Shakil Ahmad of Mycology and Plant Pathology Department, Dr Nadeem Sheikh of
Zoology Department, Dr Hafiz Abdul Qadeer, Dr Hafiz Moqeet Javed Bhatti and Dr
Abdul Majid Nadeem of Arabic Department, Dr Shuaib Ahmad and Dr Muhammad Sabir
of Persian Department, Dr Naveed Ahmad Shahzad of Punjabi Department, Dr
Zia-ul-Hassan, Dr Nasir Abbas and Dr Baseera Ambreen of Urdu Department, Dr
Ghazala Akram of Mathematics Department and Dr Saba Ishad Khokhar of Institute
of Biochemistry & Biotechnology.
The lecturers with ten-year or more
service in the Punjab University include Syed Zia Ullah, Muhammad Raiz, Rab
Nawaz, Miss Farah Deeba Chughtai, Mrs Mubashra Khatoon, Mrs Farah Zeba and
Muhammad Shahzad of Institute of Education & Research, Mrs Kahkashan Jafri
of College of Art & Design, Waqarul Haq of Institute of Communication
Studies, Mukhtar Mahmood of Hailey College of Commerce, Mrs Kalsoom Zulfiqar of
Economics Department, Muhammad Zafar Dahar of Library & Information Science
Department and Syed Amer Mahmood of Space Science Department.
Vice
Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran has said that those lecturers, who have been
serving the Punjab University for the last ten years or more, really deserve
promotion and the same is on the agenda of the new administration. He said all
decisions in the Punjab University would be taken absolutely on merit.
After this decision, Syndicate member (Lecturer Cadre) Syed Zia Ullah
Shah has thanked the new vice chancellor, saying it is a longstanding problem of
the PU lecturers.
He said this decision would encourage the above said
lecturers to work with more dedication and commitment. He also demanded
promotion of those Assistant Professors who have been serving varsity for the
last ten years. He said Dr Mujahid Kamran was a teacher vice-chancellor and he
already knew about the teachers' problems very well and, now with such kind of
pro-teachers and pro-education decisions, the varsity had been put on a fast
track leading to development.
MSc Economics results declared
Lahore: The Punjab University Examination Department has declared results of MSc
Economics (Morning), Semester System, Session 2005-2007 and MSc Economics
(Replica), Semester System, Session 2005-2007. As many as, 71 candidates had
appeared in MSc Economics exam and 63 were declared successful while 52
candidates had appeared in MSc (Replica) exam and 48 were declared successful.
The detailed results are available at the university website www.pu.edu.pk. The News
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