LAHORE - Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Prof Dr Zafar Ullah Khan literally burst into tears during the universitys academic council meeting, as it unanimously passed a resolution demanding withdrawal of the governments decision to deprive the institution of its university status. All members of the academic council, except one, got extremely emotional over the issue and also announced unanimously to tender their resignations at the end of March if the university status is not restored. An insider told The Nation that there was a pin-drop silence in the meeting when Prof Zafar Ullah Khan got emotional and started weeping loudly while expressing his years-long affiliation with the countrys premier medical institute revealing that it was his fathers dream to get him admitted in the said institute when he was in fourth class. He used to see the said 'elegant institute while leaving for his school in his childhood, Prof Zafar Ullah told the members. The VC said this while chairing the academic council meeting held at the university auditorium in protest against the Punjab governments decision to downgrade the KEMU from varsity to college. The meeting continued for two hours. It is my dream to leave this institute only after my death. Like me, hundreds of former KEMU students are aggrieved over the governments decision, he lamented. While telling the story of his emotional attachment with the university and conspiracies of some 'outsiders against the mother institute, Dr Khan burst into tears, left the meeting for a while and went out of the auditorium. Before leaving the auditorium, he announced to postpone the meeting for an indefinite period. However, nobody from the auditorium left their chairs and wanted to continue meeting. Dr Zafar Ullah, however, kept on screaming for 15 minutes and could not control his sentiments. Some other council members also could not control their emotions as they were discussed the issue of proposed downgrading of the institution. The participants of the meeting welcomed the VC by clapping and beating the table when he again entered the auditorium. The resolution was passed amid strong protest launched by all the members of the meeting but one. A senior doctor said that 60 members including professors attended the emergency meeting of the academic council, which exclusively discussed the issue of varsity status only. He said out of 60 council members only one member, Prof Dr Nausheen who also happens to be the wife of Dr Amer Aziz, cast her vote in favour of the governments decision of reverting the university to college while rest of the members strongly opposed the verdict and vowed to challenge it at all the forums. During the debate Prof Attif Kazmi suggested to restore the status of the varsity both as a college and a university. However, the VC and other participants rejected the suggestion, saying the KEMU administration and faculty members would fight for the university status only. Prof Dr Riaz Bhatti highlighted some weaknesses on the part of varsity administration saying that since the institute had been given the status of university several posts could not be filled on regular basis. He said that some Punjab government officers and members of influential rival group took benefit of such weaknesses and ultimately succeeded in motivating the Punjab government to downgrade the university on the basis of these faults. At the end, the academic council meeting also formed a delegation of 10 senior faculty members and professors of the KEMU including its registrar, dean and director post graduation section to meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in this regard. VC Prof Zafar Ullah will lead the delegation. Another senior doctor said that a draft of the resolution passed by the academic council meeting has been sent to the President, Prime Minister, Governor, PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other concerned authorities.