LAHORE: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Dr Zaffar Mueen Nasar resigned from his post on Friday. The VC submitted his resignation to Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana over being pressured by the government, sources said. Dr Zafar decided to resign three days after he held a meeting with the adviser to Chief Minister Khwaja Ahmed Hassan. “He was asked to let the government acquire two kanals of the Old Campus sports ground near Chauburji that was to be given to a religious party for the construction of a madrasa. Dr Zafar, in a meeting with the faculty members, had assured that the university would not give the land to the government. The university administration along with several groups of teachers and students expressed concern over the government’s intention to grab university’s land. Previously, Punjab government had acquired over 305 kanals of the university land for the expansion of Maulana Shaukat Ali Road, without providing any money to the university. The PU Academic Staff Association has also criticised the government for trying to snatch another two kanals of the PU land, saying under the PU Act, the land could only be used for academic purposes. Islamia Jamiat Talba (IJT), the student wing of Jamat-e-Islami, also condemned the move saying, that they would not let any mafia grab university land.
Published in Daily Times, January 6th 2018.