LAHORE: Aitchison College Principal Michael A. Thomson submitted his resignation on Monday following Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman’s directive to exempt the tuition fees for the sons of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema.
As per a report from Private Media, the resignation followed a request from Cheema’s wife to waive the fees for her sons, upon which the governor issued an order granting a three-year waiver.
In a communication to the college staff, Thomson announced his decision to step down from his position effective April 1, relinquishing any involvement in management and admissions procedures.
“I had not planned to leave Aitchison College, but circumstances leave me no alternative. Throughout my tenure as principal, I have strived to uphold the school’s reputation while extending assistance to those in need,” Thomson stated in the letter.
He continued, “However, there is a significant distinction between genuine assistance and the arbitrary creation of policies to cater to specific individuals merely because of their demands for preferential treatment.”
The letter underscored that the college’s principles were compromised to accommodate certain individuals, emphasizing the incompatibility of “politics and nepotism” within the institution.
Thomson highlighted that over the past year, actions from the Governor House had led to a breakdown in governance and management.
“It is incredulous to me, and likely to many others, that a highly successful institution could be subjected to such unjustified interference and explicit directives. A well-intentioned foreigner does not enter another country without pure motives, nor should they act to condone what they perceive as wrong,” he articulated.
Furthermore, Thomson mentioned that the directive from the Governor’s House absolved Mr. and Mrs. Cheema from tuition fees under college policy for a secured placement after an extended leave, extending to all future requests for a maximum of three years.
Additionally, the principal rescinded the admission of the children when they failed to enroll after their leaves expired. However, the governor overturned the principal’s decision to revoke their admissions.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
