Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman on Saturday strongly rejected the baseless propaganda about nationalization of Edwards College Peshawar, saying that minorities in the province are enjoying complete and equal rights.
Referring to the verdict of Peshawar High Court about Edwards College, he said the government will act according to the direction of the court.
He was speaking a news conference in Peshawar.
KP Governor lauded the services of the prestigious Edwards College Peshawar in education sector. But, he regretted that some people have attempted to make the fame and historic identity of this educational institution controversial. He said the issue of aforementioned college had risen at social media as propaganda, which is a bid to damage the dignity and image of the country at world level.
Shah Farman clarified that property of the Edwards College Peshawar was not being shifted under the nationalization plan. He said the property is related to Christian community which will remain associated with them.
KP Governor said that Brigadier Nayyar Firdous (retd) had appointed as principal of the Edwards College Peshawar for next four years as per decision of the Board of Governance.
He alleged the incumbent principal of the college had adversely damaged education standard, who gave importance to personnel vested interest instead of taking steps for improvement of education standard of the college.
He said the Edwards College Peshawar is historical and prominent educational institution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and government has taken steps for protection and retaining of its reputation and identity atop. However, he insisted that there must be restored educational standard of this premier educational institution of the province.
It was reported that a vicious campaign had been launched in United Kingdom and on social media to communalize a prestigious educational institution by misleading the public and pre-empting the government's attempt to regain its administrative control.
A protest was staged by the Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL) in front of Islamabad Press Club on Thursday, to highlight their concerns and raise their voice against what they called the unlawful involvement and intervention by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman towards nationalizing Edwards College Peshawar.
The PIL Chairman, Sajid Ishaq, said that the Edwards College is one of country's oldest and historic educational institutions established in the year 1900 by the Church Mission Society (CMS). PIL, a socio-political movement, condemned the unlawful involvement and interference of the Governor of KPK and the PTI Government for initiating such illegal steps.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019