ISLAMABAD – Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday apologised for his controversial remarks he made against the vice chancellors of universities.
Addressing the National Assembly, the minister said that he respects the teachers and educational institutions from the core of his heart. He, however, said that it is a fact that corruption has become rampant in society.
On the request of the defence minister, Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf expunged the words that were used against the VCs from the proceedings of the House.
The apology comes after the vice chancellors of Sindh’s public sector universities sent a joint letter to National Assembly speaker to condemn his remarks during a assembly session in which he referred them as “dacoits”.
Khawaja Asif had alleged that vice-chancellors of some universities became billionaires through embezzlement of funds. “Dacoits were teaching” the youth, he said, adding that the VCs did not retire from service but rather approached the courts to seek stay order.
The VCs of at least 22 universities, including the University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Mehran University, Jamshoro, and Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam expressed their disappointment and demanded expungement of the minister’s remarks from the proceedings of the assembly.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/16-Jun-2023/khawaja-asif-comes-under-fire-over-remarks-against-overseas-pakistanis
