LAHORE, Aug 2: Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood said on Saturday the Government College University would have to implement the education department’s decision to increase 10 per cent seats.

Talking to Dawn, the minister claimed that the GCU’s intermediate examination were still held under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

He said it was a misconception that the universities did not fall under the purview of the Punjab Education Department. “All the universities in the province are directly under the control of its chief executive and the education department.”

The department, he said, had sought written explanation from the GCU vice-chancellor on refusal to enhance 10 per cent seats in line with the education department’s policy.

According to Mr Masood, the education department had also attached the Parents Action Committee’s representation to its letter, and sought explanation about allocation of 40 per cent seats for the reserved quotas.

The education department had notified its admission policy, advizing that all the educational institutions would have to fill 96 per cent seats on open merit.

All the government and autonomous colleges, except the GCU, had already enhanced the seats for admission.

Justifying the refusal, a GCU spokesman said the education department’s decision was not a binding on his institution, and it would implement any such decision after formal approval by its syndicate.

Meanwhile, parents of the affected pupils are running from pillar to post to convince the GCU administration to implement the policy, besides offering additional 100 seats to the students who had secured A+ grades in their matriculation examinations.

The Parents Action Committee had stated in its representation that the GCU had neither increased 10 per cent seats of its existing 1,000 capacity nor was it willing to start evening shift for the first year students.