LAHORE: (Monday, October 05, 2026): Punjab University spokesperson has rejected the allegations leveled by the Joint Action Committee, saying that the university administration’s response to every allegation is based on the official record, facts, and improved performance across all areas of the university. The spokesperson said that leading members of the Joint Action Committee were attempting to pressure the administration through a false narrative in order to stop inquiries against themselves and prevent action against alleged corruption worth billions of rupees in Town-III. Speaking to the media at an emergency press conference, the Punjab University spokesperson said that the formation of the Joint Action Committee after fact-finding in the Town-III scandal and during ongoing inquiries was significant. He said that the committee’s recent activities and demands regarding Town-III and other matters could not be viewed separately from the ongoing investigations and inquiries aimed at establishing the facts.
He said that appointments, administrative matters, and other complaints concerning certain prominent members of the Joint Action Committee were being examined in accordance with the law and university rules. Decisions on these matters, he added, would be made on the basis of available evidence and the law, rather than through protests, pressure, or allegations.
The spokesperson said that complaints regarding the alleged personal use of university buildings, public resources, or facilities including keeping domestic chickens on government premises for personal purposes would be examined in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations.
He said that accountability proceedings could not be halted through protests or organizational pressure. If the Joint Action Committee was genuinely seeking transparency and accountability, he said, it should support the independent, impartial, and logical conclusion of ongoing investigations rather than creating the impression that it was seeking to stop inquiries or pressure the administration. He said that the Punjab University administration would neither take retaliatory action against anyone nor halt legal proceedings under pressure. Every matter, he emphasized, would be decided on the basis of evidence, rules and regulations, and through the competent legal forums. The spokesperson said that the Finance and Planning Committee, Syndicate, and other statutory bodies were in place and functioning for the university’s administrative and financial affairs. He added that numerous decisions had been implemented only after approval from these competent bodies. He said that the university’s budget, income, expenditures, investments, and other financial matters were undertaken only after proper institutional approval, auditing, and approval from the relevant statutory forums. He said that different budget figures had been presented out of context in an attempt to create a false narrative. The spokesperson said that Punjab University was moving from financial deficit toward stability and that its financial position had improved significantly over the past two years.
He stated that the university’s income had increased from approximately Rs. 7 billion to Rs. 12.5 billion, while effective expenditure controls and financial discipline had reduced the budget deficit from approximately Rs. 2.86 billion to Rs. 1.6 billion. He said these figures contradicted the narrative that the university was becoming financially paralyzed. In reality, he said, the administration had taken practical measures to increase the university’s own-source revenue, strengthen financial discipline, and reduce unnecessary expenditures despite limited government resources.
He added that practical measures had also resulted in savings of approximately 5 million units of electricity, along with efforts to reduce energy costs. The spokesperson said that, for the first time, the university had recorded more than 15,000 admissions, representing an increase of over 40 percent in new admissions. He said that the growing confidence of students and parents was an important measure of an educational institution’s performance. If Punjab University were experiencing academic and administrative decline, he argued, such a significant increase in new admissions would not have been possible. The spokesperson made it clear that Punjab University would not be run according to the interests of individuals or groups, but in accordance with the law, rules and regulations, and the institutional system. He said that the university’s core agenda was the promotion of education and research, financial stability, transparency, merit, accountability, and institutional reforms. The administration, he concluded, would continue the process of further strengthening the university academically, financially, and administratively while remaining accountable to all constitutional and legal institutions.