Dispute over the fees of the sons of Federal Minister Ahad Cheema: the Punjab Governor reportedly ordered the College to waive them (for three years, after the minister's wife urged him); the Principal said College policy was undermined and cancelled the boys' admissions after their leave ended, but the Governor cancelled that order. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the boys had not been studying at the College for three years and that the governor acted as per the law. The report gives no date for the order.
| Who | Role | Rank | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahad Cheema | Federal Minister whose sons' fees were waived | ||
| Ahad Cheema | federal minister whose sons were the subject of the fee waiver | ||
| Attaullah Tarar | Information Minister (said the sons had not been studying for three years) | ||
| Attaullah Tarar | Information Minister who commented that the children had not been studying at Aitchison for the past three years | ||
| Balighur Rehman | Punjab Governor (reportedly ordered the waiver) | ||
| Esa Ahad Cheema | son whose fees were to be waived | ||
| Michael Thomson | principal who opposed the waiver | ||
| Michael Thomson | Principal (objected; resigned) | ||
| Muhammad Balighur Rehman | Punjab Governor who decided the fee waiver | ||
| Mustafa Ahad Cheema | son whose fees were to be waived | ||
| Saima | petitioner (wife of Ahad Cheema) |
Photographs appear here when the article that reports the event carries them.
Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman had reportedly ordered the Aitchison College authorities to waive the fees of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema's sons
Thompson resigned in protest after the then provincial governor, Balighur Rehman, granted a three-year leave of absence and a complete fee waiver for two children of Ahad Cheema
Sources in the college said the governor had used his powers to waive the fees and fine of former bureaucrat and Federal Minister Ahad Cheema's sons despite the college administration’s unwillingness
The Australian educator's extreme step appears to have been triggered by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman's move to waive the tuition fees for the sons of PML-N leader Ahad Cheema
Sources in the college said the governor had used his powers to waive the fees and fine of former bureaucrat and Federal Minister Ahad Cheema's sons despite the college administration’s unwillingness
The resignation came after Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman allegedly ordered the principal to waive the fees of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema's sons – Esa and Mustafa Ahad Cheema
Thomson, though, allegedly refused to implement the Board's decision
granting long leave to two children of Federal Minister Ahad Cheema
Although the reason for the resignation was not specified in the letter, media reports suggested that it was prompted by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman’s decision to waive the tuition fees for the sons of Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema
The resignation came after Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman allegedly ordered the principal to waive the fees of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema's sons – Esa and Mustafa Ahad Cheema
took another turn on Tuesday when the Federal Minister Ahad Cheema wrote a letter to Punjab governor informing him of his decision not to avail the fee waiver facility for his children
Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, also the Chairman of Board of Governors of the Aitchison College, waived off tuition fees for the children of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema for three years
Thomson claimed that Cheema had manipulated a letter he sent to refer the matter to the college's barrister and the Board's management committee
sources in the Governor House insisted that fee concession had been given to former bureaucrat Cheema's sons on merit as they were not studying in the college during the period
The family had shifted to Islamabad so the fee relaxation had been given, which would also be given to other students, they said
The Australian educator's extreme step appears to have been triggered by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman's move to waive the tuition fees for the sons of PML-N leader Ahad Cheema
According to media reports, Cheema's wife had appealed to the Punjab governor to exempt her sons' fees
Subsequently, the governor issued an order granting a three-year waiver on their fees
The federal minister at the centre of the controversy has come out to deny the allegations, noting that the principal refused to implement the lawful policy decisions of the college's board on the matter
In his resignation letter to the college's management committee, Thomson said that the main contention was granting long leave to two children of Federal Minister Ahad Cheema
The two children were studying in Aitchison College but were then relocated temporarily after Cheema's assignments were moved to the federal capital
Cheema urged the principal to waive the requirement to deposit the full fees of the two students for the period for which their seats need to be reserved
The principal denied Cheema's initial requests. Cheema's wife then raised the matter with the college's Board, headed by the Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, who ruled in her favour
He expressed shock when neither the college barrister nor the management committee dealt with the matter "properly
However, the Aitchison Principal expressed his dismay when the Board condemned his letter, accused him of acting inappropriately towards the Governor, and suggested that he offer an explanation to a review committee
an order from the governor's office stated that the matter was initiated in June 2022
The Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, when asked to comment on the resignation and Governor Punjab’s letter to the principal regarding the waiver of tuition fees for Cheema’s sons and granting them leave of absence, said the children had not been studying at Aitchison College for the past three years
took another turn on Tuesday when the Federal Minister Ahad Cheema wrote a letter to Punjab governor informing him of his decision not to avail the fee waiver facility for his children
Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, also the Chairman of Board of Governors of the Aitchison College, waived off tuition fees for the children of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema for three years
Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar said that Ahad Cheema’s children had not been studying at the Aitchison College for the past three years and this was the reason his wife had requested for a fee waiver