LAHORE - A Lahore High Court full bench Monday admonished Bazhauddin Zakarya University’s vice-chancellor and registrar for not issuing degrees to its Lahore campus students in compliance of interim order.
The court warned the officials of the varsity to ensure the issuance of degrees to the students before the next date of hearing, otherwise be ready to go to jail.
The bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi gave these remarks while hearing several petitions moved by students of the sub-campus seeking issuance of their degrees as well their recognition.
On Feb 7, 2017, the bench passed an interim order in which the university was directed to issue degrees to students who passed their examinations at Lahore sub-campus.
The petitioner-students through their counsels told the bench that despite court orders they had not been issued degrees and also NOCs. The bench took notice of non-compliance of its previous order and observed that “Kot Lakhpat jail was not far from here,” and addressed the officials of the varsity. The court, in this regard, gave one time to the officials and put off further proceedings until March 06.
Almost 4000 students had filed their petitions and challenged non-recognition as well as non-issuance of their degrees. They said they had paid huge fee to the varsity and attended classes but despite all that, they had been deprived of their degrees and had not been issued NOCs.
They prayed that their degrees be issued and these also be recognised by the authorities concerned. The students had also staged several protests against the administration of the sub-campus of the varsity.
reply sought from
HEC chairman
The Lahore High Court yesterday directed Higher Education Commission Chairman to submit reply along with his academic credentials on a petition challenging his appointment.
Osama Memon, a lawyer, moved the petition and submitted that Dr Ahmad Mukhtar did not have required qualification and experience which was violation rules and regulations. He stated that the respondent was also allegedly involved in corruption of millions of rupees. While he obtained his PhD and MBA degrees at the same time which was also the violation of the HEC rules. He prayed that prime minister be ordered to remove the respondent from holding the office of HEC. He also prayed that the amount paid to the respondent be recovered.
After hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of the LHC sought reply from the respondent and adjourned further hearing until March 20.