LAHORE: University of Engineering and Technology Vice Chancellor retired LtGen Muhammad Akram Khan retired on Saturday after completing the longest ever four four-year consecutive tenures spanning over 17 years.

Mr Khan was appointed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in 1997 with a task of streamlining varsity affairs, which was earning the repute of `university of error and terror`. The four-year degree programme was taking more than six years and two student unions werefacing each other head on. The university was also facing sectarian issues.

However, VC Mr Khan cleared the longstanding issues in the university, including student unions.

Regular students and parents heaved a sigh of relief as the academic environment on the university improved and gradually the four-year degree programme returned toits schedule.

As a result, the VC won the confidence of all and continued to earn one tenure after another despite the fact that there came a provision that a vice-chancellor of a public sector university should hold a PhD.

Sources say that no voice of dissent was raised against Mr Khan because he continued ignoring `mistakes` of many and gave incentives to many disgruntled elements.

UET spokesman claims that Mr Khan served the university with-out any salary and did not even claim any TA/DA.

Meanwhile, the UET Teaching Staff Association held a farewell ceremony for the outgoing vicechancellor. The UET Security Force gave him a guard of honour.

Speaking on the occasion, Senior Dean Dr Zubair A Khan acknowledged the services of Mr Khan for the university and said that the VC had taken over the charge of the university when it was called `university of error and terror`. He said the UET had now become a peaceful academic institution and the faculty would continue following Mr Khan`s practices to further strengthen the university academically.

Mr Khan thanked all associations, teachers, employees and students and hoped thathis successor would continue maintaining the discipline and merit in theuniversity.

Senior Dean Dr Zubair A Khan and Teaching Staff Association president Prof Dr Muhammad Shoaib presented a bouquet to the outgoing VC.

Earlier, the VC visited all departments on varsity`s main campus as well as its satellite campuses in Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Narowal and Gujranwala.

The UET ranks among top two engineering universities in HEC ranking for 2013 and 2014 as well as reflects amongst technology universities of the world as per QS World Ranking 2014.

Currently, the UET has 11,397 students onitsrollsincluding1,560 in MSc/MPhil and 465 in PhD. The UET has seven satellite campuses.

The UET is currently spending Rs2.26bn out of Rs5.929bn mega project `Strengthening of UET Lahore`.