LAHORE: The Punjab government has tried to appoint a former Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba Nazim and Tanzeem-e-Asatiza former president, teachers wing of Jamaat-i-Islami, as vice chancellor of the University of Punjab for some political mileage in violation of decision of Supreme Court to make appointment strictly on merit. Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif on the last day of his government signed a summary with the recommendation to appoint Dr Niaz Ahmed as new regular vice chancellor for four years as part of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s likely deal with JI and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in the upcoming general elections. Punjab University community has expressed serious reservations and thanked the Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar on Friday for foiling the government’s bid and ordered preparation of a new summary purely on the basis of merit instead of alphabetical order. When contacted, Punjab University Academic Staff Association (ASA) General Secretary Sardar Asghar said that selection of VC should be on merit. He should be on merit and neutral as he should not have any political background. He went on saying that PU is an educational institutional, not a political one, therefore anyone from any political party or political background is not acceptable. The ASA general secretary said that there are students, teachers and employees of different sects and regions, therefore, a person who has neutral thinking regardless of sectarian or political basis must be head of this largest educational institution. “If VC will be biased then the teachers will be part of sectarian or political conflicts,” he said. However, a professor at PU on condition of anonymity observed that the chief minister completely ignored the fact that PU was a main target of the religious political party, who always wanted to make it their stronghold with the help of their student’s wing and spread hooliganism on the campus. He said Dr Niaz has been president of Tanzeem-e-Asatiza, JI teachers wing during 2003-04, and his real nephew Allah Bakhsh Leghari was Najim i Jamia and he used to live with him on the campus. Dr Niaz was PU adviser student affairs and during his tenure, offices of IJT were opened in all hostels and the university’s main corridor. Another associate professor also blamed Dr Niaz that he is religiously and ethnically biased and PU would never accept any JI vice chancellor because after a struggle of 20 years university has been partially rescued from the so-called Islamic organisation. Published in Daily Times, June 2nd 2018.