LAHORE - A university which denied admission to a female student for wearing veil says that instead of taking the matter immediately to court she should have raised the grievance with the institution as first remedy.
Government College University’s legal advisor Mian Abdul Quddous appeared before a single bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Ijazul Ashan and submitted the written reply on behalf of the Management Sciences Department on Thursday.
The legal advisor said that the female-student was also running a social media campaign against the institution. The department did not deny admission to any student for wearing veil (hijab).
However, the petitioner’s counsel Barrister Sajeel Shahryar pleaded the court to give some time read the reply of the varsity and to file rejoinder. The court accepted his plea and adjourned further hearing until Oct 16.
The petitioner, Mehreen Shafaq, applied for admission in BA Applied Management Sciences course and passed written examination.
During interview director management science department Najaf Yawar and member interview committee assistant professor Immad upal asked petitioner-girl to unveil her face for identification purposes.
However, the girl refused to do the same. She was of the view that since she was a veiled woman (pardanasheen) and did not unveil her face before men falling under prohibitory clause. She said let the committee coordinator Asma identify her in separate.
Director Najaf was unimpressed and turned down to grant admission to girl. He veil women were already creating problems in the campus.
The petitioner’s counsel Barrister Sajeel Shahryar pleaded that under the constitution every citizen is free to wear any dress with certain limits and refusing to grant admission on sole ground of wearing veil is a discriminatory act. The petitioner prayed the court to take action against the university’s administration on the issue.