Queen Mary College’s former chowkidar denied pension

By Rahib Raza

Published: February 2, 2011

Protest against Principal Dr Marayum closes down Durand Road

LAHORE: Queen Mary College’s (QMC’s) principal came under fire on Tuesday when hundreds protested against her in front of the college.
The protesters gathered around Nasreen, a former chowkidar at the QMC for 32 years who has not been paid her pension, and accused Dr Irfana Marayum, the principal, of apathy towards her condition.
Nasreen has been bed ridden for the past three years and has been unable to come personally to collect her pension.
However, her son, Abid Ali has been visiting the QMC for three years but has not been able to get his mother’s pension released. The administration, he said, insists his mother come personally to collect her pension even though he had explained that she was ill and could not walk. “Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman wrote to Dr Marayum asking her to release my mother’s pension but the principal was not bothered.”
Other QMC employees said that Nasreen’s case was heart breaking for them. They could not believe that she had been reduced to begging for her right.
Ali said his mother often cried when she was reminded of her pension. He said that he was her only son. He said he had six sisters to look after.  “The money from my mother’s pension is much needed in the house.
I have been to the college about a hundred times but they have not budged.”
Another relative of Nasreen’s said, “The principal is aware of Nasreen’s condition. She has always been very rude.  If she continues to ignore us, we will be forced to protest in front of the chief minister’s house.”
The protest closed down the Durand Road in front of the college. An employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the principal did not consider the services of non-faculty employees valuable to the welfare of the college. Nasreen’s condition, he said, was a sign of that.
A QMC faculty member said, “This is the worst example of brutality. An old female worker has been left in such an intolerable condition without a pension.”
Another faculty member said, “The principal enjoys luxuries in her office and chooses to feign ignorance regarding the problems of her staff that are equally responsible for the prosperity of the institution.”
Dr Marayum was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2011.