The Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mian Shahbaz Shrif has taken notice of a conspiracy against his laptop distribution at PU’s South Asian Study Department, where a clerk mafia and department head were allegedly trying to create hurdles in the CM’s constructive endeavour, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.
Students of South Asian Study Department lodged a complaint to the CM that they belonged to poor families and their name had been included in the list on merit but their department’s head Dr Ambreen had removed their name from the list. Shahbaz assured the complainants that they he valued them and would take the required action against the issue. Students also wanted the PU VC to pursue the matter. The students also alleged that Dr Ambreen also issued a notification that they had completed their degrees, hence, they did not need laptops; and asserted that they would launch a protest if PU administration did not take action against the injustice.
Punjab CM showed his concern via an email to the students, who two weeks ago had complaint about the corruption in the laptops scheme at PU’s South Asian Study Department. According to the email the name of around 70 registered students of the Center for South Asian Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore had been sent for annulment. With regards to the assertion that some of the students had jobs, therefore, they did not need laptops, the students claimed that department head had made the assertion without verifying their job status. They claimed that a major chunk of students was unemployed
A student also alleged that the CM started the distribution of laptops from PU where around 22,000 students were said to be given laptops but some uncalled-for conspiracies were hindering the programme. He also claimed that most of students removed from the list belonged to the poor class.
A female student of the department said that their department head had also been the Political Science Department Chairman and when she became the head of South Asian Study Center, which demonstrated her undue influence. She said that the students also wanted the CM to replace Dr Ambreen and wanted an inquiry against her. It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Ambreen earlier told PT that these students had completed their degrees and hence were no longer a part of the department and therefore they did not merit the laptops.
