LAHORE, Feb 14 Governor Salmaan Taseer has signed the Ali Institute of Education Lahore Bill, making it a law after the Punjab Assembly removed the objections raised by him to the draft.

Earlier, the bill was submitted to the governor for his signatures but he had returned the same to the assembly with several objections.

“The incompetence of the Higher Education Department (HED) might have resulted in a clash between the provincial government and the governor,” said a Governor's House source.

The governor observed that section 6 of the Ali Institute of Education Lahore Act 2009, declaring the governor chancellor of the institute, was not in conformity with section 8 of the Act ibid, where Rector was declared chief executive officer being responsible for all administrative and academic functions of the institute. The Rector is the administrative and academic head of an educational institution of which the governor is the patron.

The governor said he wanted to know that whether it was an 'intentional deviation' from the past practice or a result of oversight by the department concerned.

The Higher Education Department responded to the governor's objections but he termed the answers 'unsatisfactory' having no legal support.

The governor observed that the HED contention that on upgrade of the Ali Institute they would have to move an amendment bill as in case of establishment of a university, and a fresh and independent bill would have to be placed before the assembly for approval instead of an amendment bill, was not convincing.

The Model University Ordinance is applicable only to the universities and not to the degree awarding institutions as is evident from its title. The ordinance provides for the chancellor and vice-chancellor as officers of the university and not the chancellor and rector as envisaged in sections 3(3) and 7(a&b) of the ordinance.