Lahore - Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has rejected an advice of relaxing the rules to get his grandson admitted to Aitchison College, it is learnt reliably.

The grandson failed to score merit for admission to the college, sources said. After learning about the matter, the chief minister phoned newly-appointed principal Michael Thomson, an Australian, and praised him for maintaining merit, the sources added.

Shehbaz Sharif appreciated Michael Thomson, who took over as principal this year, for going by the principle though he (the principal) knew that the youth was the grandson of the Punjab chief minister, the sources maintained.

Following his grandson’s failure, CM Shehbaz was also advised to use his authority and relax the rules but he rejected to do so, setting another precedent of merit, they said.

Two years ago, the chief minister did the same to promote the culture of merit when the grandson of his brother Mian Muhammad Abbas Sharif failed to get admission to Aitchison College.