ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday allowed the students of various law colleges affiliated with Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) to take LLB examination.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan conducted hearing of the case seeking implementation of its order 31.08.2018 regarding LLB programme.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had ordered to phase out the LLB (three-year) programme and a five-year LLB programme was introduced in September 2019. The law colleges were barred from admitting students to the three-year programme after Dec 31, 2018.
After the apex court verdict BZU syndicate allowed 100 seats per college but the 41 colleges exceeded the limit and enrolled more students for LLB part-1 (three-year course) session 2018. The colleges were to enrol 4,100 students as they were allotted 100 seats each but they had admitted 14,000 aspirants.
The bench directed the committee, set up on the order of the apex court, that two weeks after the examination submit a report about the student admissions in 41 law colleges.
Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, a member of the committee, informed that 14,000 students were admitted in the law colleges affiliated with the BZU and out of the total 9,000 admissions seem to be fake. He informed that in 2018 the apex court had abolished three-year LLB programme.
The lawyer, representing the university, said that the exams of 2016 Session are being held now. Justice Ijaz expressing astonishment said that they do not understand this that the examinations of 2016 batch are being held now. He inquired how 14,000 students could be admitted in one Session (2018).
The counsel informed that 41 law colleges are affiliated with Bahuddin Zakaria University. At this Justice Ijaz remarked that many law colleges are set up in one room and this seemed to be a source of earning money.
Azam Nazir said that despite the Supreme Court order the university did not cancel the affiliation of any law college. Justice Ijaz said the court had ordered to cancel the affiliation of 32 law colleges. Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi said non-complying the court verdict entail initiation of contempt of court proceeding against the vice-chancellor of the university.
Justice Ijaz observed that despite the apex court direction fake law colleges were not de-affiliated. He said that they would involve FIA in scrutiny of the fake law colleges, adding fake admission is not a minor issue.
Justice Muneeb Akhtar said that if at this stage they involve FIA and disallow students to appear in the examination then nothing would happen for six years. He further said that the Court has to protect the rights of the law students.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing for indefinite period in this matter.