LAHORE, Nov 29: Governor Salmaan Taseer has said he will continue writing “love letters” to the chief minister.
Talking to reporters after the seventh convocation of the Government College University, Lahore, on Saturday, the governor said he was writing letters in a very “nice language” on constitutional matters, including cabinet meetings, which was a requirement of the government functioning but “the chief minister’s replies are cluttered.”
In a lighter vein, the governor said: “If a person has a good breakfast, he behaves politely and vice versa.” He said there was no possibility of dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.
Mr Taseer said it was a good decision of not sending the ISI chief but an official to help India in the Mumbai probe. He said the prime minister had consulted the Chief of the Army Staff over the issue of sending the ISI chief to Mumbai.
Earlier, delivering his convocation address, the governor announced on behalf of the prime minister, who was supposed to preside over the convocation, that the GCU would be given funds required for the construction of varsity’s Kala Shah Kaku campus and upgradation of its main building and Iqbal Hostel.
The governor lauded the Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences for producing quality PhDs.
Praising the graduates, the governor said degrees were their launching pads and they must go forward while watching the interest of the country.
GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Aftab said the university, housed in land-locked small campus, was facing a delicate situation with regard to its space requirements.
He said this building was insufficient to cater to the space needs of the new departments. He said the varsity had purchased land in Kala Shah Kaku with Punjab government’s special grant, and there was a need to build the new campus there.
The VC said the university had 415 faculty members of which 145 held PhD degrees while the rest were M.Phil.
Earlier, the governor presented medals and rolls of honour to position holders and those showing best results in different academic and co-curricular activities.
Christians: Governor Salmaan Taseer has said the government will safeguard the interests of all sects of Christians in the Christmas Package.
Talking to a delegation of priests, led by Lahore Church Council Moderator Javed Gill, at the Governor’s House here on Saturday, he said the government was making efforts for the welfare of the minorities who would not be discriminated against. The demands regarding the Christmas Package were justified and would be accepted, he said.
The delegation discussed various proposals for the welfare of the community. Its secretary-general Samuel B. Massey presented the council’s charter of demands, including grant of permission to the council to visit jails for watching the condition of Christian prisoners and formulation of a Christmas package for poor Christians of every sect (including Presbyterian Church) on Christmas and Easter.
The package should be made in consultation with the representative organisations of Christians, the delegation said.