LAHORE, March 17: The Punjab government has finalized the plan to return the FC College to the Presbyterian Church.

The government has reportedly taken a commitment from the Church representatives that the existing staff will not be removed from service. However, no commitment has been made regarding the fee structure.

It is learnt that Dr Peter Armocost, who arrived here from America a few weeks ago, is expected to take over as president of the college. He is also expected to bring American staff to offer “quality education.”

The Presbyterian Church has reportedly finalized a board of governors to run the college affairs and “raise the standard of education.”

It is also learnt that the name of the college will not be changed.

When contacted, Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood said the decision would be notified shortly.

He said the government had taken the decision on the basis of a Supreme Court decision and President Gen Musharraf’s assurance at a function in Lahore last year.

Mr Masood said the issue was raised many times but could not be settled for one reason or the other.

He said he was a part of the committee which had examined the handing over of the college in the Shahbaz Sharif era. The committee had agreed to return the mission properties to their original owners. However, the decision could not be implemented as the PML-N government was removed.

He said the fears of teachers and students were the major issue in handing over of the college. The church had now agreed not to surrender any employee to the education department till the latter itself desired so. He, however, admitted that no agreement had been reached about the fee structure.

“They will obviously keep fee competitive with those being charged by other local institutions, like LUMS,” he added.

He said the new administration would be authorized to seek affiliation with the premier institutions in America.

He claimed that the Punjab government would have 50 per cent representation on the new board of governors. It would continue to monitor the affairs of the college even after its return to the church.

He said the government was liable to pay Rs1 billion as rent to the church in accordance with the conditions laid down when the institution was nationalized.

Right now, he said, the government had no plan to pay the rent, and if it had to, it would ensure that the money was spent on the uplift of the college, he added.

Nineteen schools and two colleges, FC and Gordon College, Rawalpindi, were taken over by the government in 1972 under the nationalization policy. Ten schools, including Rang Mahal Mission High School, Lahore, have already been returned to the church. The remaining schools will be returned to the church in phases.

It is, however, learnt that no decision regarding the return of the Gordon College to the church has so far been taken.

JAC CONVENTION: Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of teachers, doctors and students has decided to hold a day-long convention in the college on Tuesday to restrain the government from handing it over to the church.

Earlier on Monday, the Save-FC College Committee of the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association organized a protest meeting on the campus.

Speaking on the occasion, JAC chairman Nazim Hasnain said teachers would not allow the government to implement the American and anti-Pakistan policies in education and health institutions in the country.

He said the rulers had failed to fulfil their commitments and were acting on the directions of their foreign masters. The JAC was fighting to save the teaching and medical professions and institutions. The handing over of the college to the church would convert it into an American base.

Later, college teachers and students carrying placards marched from the college’s P-Block to the Zahoor Elahi Road and blocked traffic.