A heavy contingent of police was deployed outside the Governor house in Lahore on Tuesday as students and their parents staged a protest demonstration in support of Principal Michael A Thomson who had resigned from his post yesterday after developing differences with Punjab governor in relation to the Federal Minister Ahad Cheema’s sons’ issue of leave of absence and fee waiver.
A large number of students and their parents were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in support of the principal. They demanded an end to the political interference in the affairs of the country’s most prestigious educational institution.
The police personnel were standing alert at the protest site to deal with any situation.
Policemen surrounded the Governor House with water cannons and erected barriers for ‘security purposes’.
“We don’t know why all this police, prison vans and water canons are present here. We are parents of school-going children simply exercising our right to peaceful protest. We are not a political party nor do we pose any threat of violence”, said the mother of a student present at the protest.
PTI condemns interference in the school’s affairs
Over the issue of the resignation of the principal of Aitchison College, a spokesperson of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) strongly condemned the Punjab governor’s interference in the affairs of the educational institutes.
The PTI spokesperson demanded a comprehensive investigation into the matter and action should be taken against the responsible persons including Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman and others.
The PTI spokesperson also said the destruction of institutions is an old pattern and tradition of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and now they made a new effort to destroy one of the country’s top educational institutions after destroying the entire state machinery, including the police, administration, and judiciary.
