LAHORE: Punjab Governor Saleem Haider claims that he rejected Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s summary for the appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities in the province because some of the nominees were facing corruption charges.

“I rejected the summary for appointment of vice-chancellors because a few of those nominated for the offices have corruption charges against them. While rejecting the summary, I wrote that fingers are being raised on the process for the appointments (of VCs),” the governor, who is also chancellor of the universities, told the media here on Thursday.

Denying the claim attributed to Ms Sharif that the governor desired to appoint a VC of his choice, he said on oath that he never talked to the chief minister on the posting of any VC and wished only that the appointments should be made on merit.

“I’ve no personal dispute on the postings. I wish that only such persons should be posted as VCs who may build the youth into one nation.”

Denies CM’s claim of appointing a VC of choice

Responding to a query, he said the current set-up is a coalition government and “we have to run it” because it is in the national interest that the present dispensation should continue to work.

“Whether this government survives or not, we are part of the ruling coalition.”

He told a questioner that the only concern of the PPP is to fully implement the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Nawaz Sharif through the constitutional package the government plans to introduce shortly.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has completed the process of appointing vice-chancellors transparently for the first time and one must not play with the future of students or politicise these appointments.

In a statement, she refuted the claims attributed to the chief minister regarding the governor on the appointment of VCs.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024