LAHORE: Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi met with former prime minister Imran Khan in Zaman Park on Saturday and announced that the Mass Communication Department would be renamed after martyred journalist Arshad Sharif.
After allowing the PTI head to use the university’s Oval area to address students and make derogatory remarks against the opposition and the establishment, Prof. Zaidi recently came under fire from many quarters.
Then, Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “Strict action must be taken against the GCU VC for desecrating an educational institution by renting it to a Fitna & organizing his jalsa on the grounds. Utilizing a place of learning for political hate speech is an offense that should be penalized.
Old Ravians have also objected to the action, calling it an attempt to advance PTI’s political goal.
The PTI chairman had earlier declared that the PTI will open a school of media studies in the name of the journalist who had just died in Kenya.
The Arshad Sharif School of Journalism will promote investigative reporting, the GCU VC announced during the meeting, and a new building will be built to house the department.
The PTI leader praised Dr. Zaidi’s announcement and suggested that he create rules for the reinstatement of student unions in Punjab. According to the former prime minister, students at universities are the leaders of tomorrow, thus “we should take every conceivable effort to educate them on the campuses.”
Mr. Zaidi declared via video that the university’s new campus would house the Arshad Sharif Institute of Journalism, which would support investigative reporting.
“We are also creating the Arshad Sharif School of Journalism Endowment Fund to build the building of the new campus.”
