LAHORE  -  Principal Lahore Aitchison College Michael A. Thomson resigned on Monday, citing “breakdown of gover­nance and management” caused by what he called “prejudiced actions by Governor House”.

The development comes after 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. In a letter ad­dressed to the college staff, Mr Thom­son stated that a continuation of very poor governance had left him with no other choice but to resign. “Through­out my time as principal, I have done my very best to protect the school’s reputation while extending compas­sion to those in need”, he stated. 

He also cited the presence of “bla­tant policy manufacturing to accom­modate certain individuals”, adding that “such people simply insist on preferential treatment”. “Politics and nepotism have no place in schools,” Thomson asserted.

“Over the past year, other preju­diced actions by Governor House have contributed to a breakdown of governance and management, under which I had to finally draw a line. 

“It seems incredulous to me, and quite possibly to most other people, that a school so successful can be sub­jected to such unwarranted interfer­ence and brazen directives,” he add­ed. “I leave on April 1 and will not play any role in the management of up­coming admissions,” Thomson stated. On the other hand, Punjab Governor Muhmmad Balighur Rehman said that Aitchison College Principal resigned to avoid an inquiry pending against him. He told a news channel that Mr Thomson was drawing 04 million ru­pees as monthly salary and he had ordered an audit as he remained on leave for 100 days in a year. 

Also, commenting on the resig­nation of Mr Thomson, a source from the Governor House defended the governor’s decision regarding fee waiver for the children of Ahad Cheema saying that the decision re­garding fee waiver has been issued by the Governor of Punjab in accor­dance with section (3)5 of the Pun­jab Educational Institution Recon­stitution Act, 2021, dated March 21, 2024. The source further clarified that the information disseminated on social and electronic media was contrary to the context of the Gover­nor’s decision.

The source stated that the decision will apply not to an individual but to all parents who are compelled to re­locate to another city for a certain pe­riod due to any compulsion. 

This decision-making aims to waive fees not just for any individual stu­dent after leaving the school.

“The principal of the college had submitted his resignation from Au­gust 1, 2024, citing personal rea­sons, which was accepted. The deci­sion to leave the college from April 1st is the principal’s own decision. Staff members were addressed in an inappropriate language and expres­sions in the letter issued by the prin­cipal on March 25, 2024.”

The sources further stated that according to records, the principal has been facing disciplinary actions since February 2024.

“Aitchison College is an institu­tion with a history of 150 years, gov­erned by the Board of Governors, not subject to the desires of an individu­al. The appointment of a new prin­cipal has been underway through a search committee since October”, said the source. Also, 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.

Referring to a letter written by Punjab Governor to the college prin­cipal, the minister said that it men­tioned that Cheema’s children had moved to Islamabad and were study­ing at a school there.

The federal minister maintained that law allowed a fee waiver if the children were not studying at the col­lege for a certain period. He asserted Ahad Cheema’s wife submitted an ap­plication according to the law.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on behalf of the federal government also contacted Principal Aitchison College and discussed with regard to with­drawing his resignation and resolv­ing the matter amicably.

It may be recalled here that Thom­son had also resigned in September 2018, allegedly under political pres­sure for taking disciplinary action against some students. There were also reports that he was facing pres­sure to give admission to the son of former MNA Kashmala Tariq in A-lev­els after he was expelled earlier. How­ever, Mr Thomson later withdrew the resignation reportedly after then Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muham­mad Sarwar convinced him to contin­ue working as college principal.

In a related development which came a month-and-a-half before Thomson’s resignation, Babar Ali Syed, a member of Board of Gover­nors and management committee, had resigned on February 6, 2004 cit­ing health reasons. But in his resigna­tion letter addressed to Punjab Gov­ernor, Mr Babar was all praise for Principal Thomson for his efforts to improve the quality of teaching. He also mentioned that during the ten­ure of Mr Thomson, a greater number of college students got admissions to top US universities and to Oxford and Cambridge than ever before.