LAHORE: The Punjab University syndicate meeting scheduled for Friday (today) has been postponed after the deans and principals of its constituent colleges termed it illegal.

They were of the view that the VC could not convene syndicate meeting till the statutory body’s formation was completed.

PU Academic Staff Association (Puasa) president Javed Sami pointed out that the complete formation of the syndicate was essential for making it functional as per the Lahore High Court order.

On Thursday, VC Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasar presided over a meeting of the deans and principals to discuss the ‘legality’ of the syndicate meeting to be held on Friday (today).

A meeting participant, seeking anonymity, told Dawn the VC agreed to postpone the meeting following serious concerns expressed by some deans and principals.

“They were of the view that without completion of syndicate any of its meetings will be illegal. They demanded election to complete the syndicate at the earliest,” he said.

Another member said the varsity administration was under immense pressure from the provincial government to hold the syndicate meeting and get approved a controversial agenda item – surrendering a piece of two kanal varsity land at Chauburji in favour of the Punjab government -- so that the Orange Line Metro Train Project faced no hurdle on its route.

“There were also other controversial items on the agenda but those concerned most to the government,” he said, adding the varsity administration would try to convene the syndicate meeting as early as possible to ‘oblige’ the Shahbaz administration after meeting ‘legal requirements’.

It had also been decided that no controversial item would be put in the syndicate meeting and the standing list not approved before 2017 would be tabled there, he said.

The PU administration had listed 37 agenda items, including allocation of university land for “constructing a mosque near Chauburji.”

In a letter to the VC, Puasa president said: “The allocation of university land for any purpose other than education and research is also a very sensitive matter which must not be decided without taking into account the opinions of teachers’ representatives. The general body of Puasa has already passed a resolution against any such effort in the meeting held on Dec 13 on the Old Campus,” he said.

A PU spokesman refuted the allegations of any pressure on the administration. He said vice chancellor had taken a wise step by taking deans and principals on board because he believed in democratic norms.

He said the VC had instructed the registrar to act upon the meeting’s suggestions with an open heart and the rumors of any sort of pressure from any stakeholder were baseless.

He said the PU administration was determined to abide by the rules and regulation and uphold merit in all matters.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2017