LAHORE – The speculation of appointing Senator Latif Khosa as governor of Punjab has sparked a new debate among the members of the public, especially students, Pakistan Today has learnt.
“The government should have appointed a person with a sound educational background,” they said, adding “how will he act as the chancellor of all public sector universities?” They said that people like Asma Jahangir and Aitzaz Ahsan should be given a chance to be the constitutional head of the province because of their uncontroversial background, adding that only the names of typical politicians on the basis of party loyalty were discussed.
“The governor has ceremonial power but as a chancellor, the future generations are in his hands. Other more appropriate candidates should have been considered,” a university student, Sajid said. “We did not give mandate to PPP and they also lost their seat in Rawalpindi where Benazir was assassinated. Public opinion should be respected while appointing the new governor,” Ahsan Baig, a businessman said.
A PPP activist, Zaidi said that their party had every right to appoint governor of their choice as they are the single largest party of the country. He said that governor is a federal dignitary, therefore his choice was automatically made by PPP leadership. Students of University of Engineering and Technology (UET) have also complained about the ignorance on the part of government, saying that the power had been vested in the government by the people and the governor should be appointed after consultations with the vice chancellors of all universities.
Farrukh Kamran, an engineering student said that he had designed a car which runs from air combustion without using fuel but the shortage of funds was hampering his plans, adding that the governor should be an exemplary and visionary personality in all respects in order to cope with the current problems of the universities.
People argued that Aitzaz Ahsan and Asma Jahangir could have been a much better option because Latif Khosa was a controversial figure. Another concerned citizen, Haleema Mirza said “The Governor’s House looks like a palace and the people living around it do not even know if they will get their next meal or not,” adding that whoever the new governor is, they should announce a policy of simplicity to adapt to the current economic situation in the country.
