LAHORE - The Lahore High Court remarked that it is no longer required to get O/A levels equivalence certificate from the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) for attestation of degrees issued by universities recongnised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan disposed of a petition, set aside an Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) in this respect, and directed the High Education Commission (HEC) to attest the degree of the petitioner.
Earlier, the HEC counsel informed the court that O and A level equivalence certificate from Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) is no longer required for the attestation of bachelors and masters degree.
The counsel on behalf of the HEC informed the court that the HEC had amended the rules and withdraw condition of equivalence certificate from IBCC for attestation of degrees, in case of O and A level candidate. He also submitted a notification issued by the HEC. He submitted that new rules would be applicable across the country with uniformity.
The notification dated 02-08-2018 issued by the HEC says, “It is notified that the Competent Authority has decided that every degree will be attested solely on Sligo: Institute of Technology Sligo has issued the following news release: merits i. e. whether it has been issued by a recognised institution and whether the institution has the legal authority to issue such degree. Application for attestation will no longer be required to submit information about previous or subsequent academic qualifications.”
Sheraz Zaka Advocate on behalf of the petitioner argued the petitioner needs an Iqama (work permit) from Dubai and that is the reason she needs attestation of her degrees while the HEC had failed to perform its statutory obligations.
Justice Farrukh Irfan observed that the HEC should have attested the petitioner’s degrees of the universities duly recognised by the commission. During the hearing, the HEC presented a notification that now for the attestation of masters and bachelor degree, a student no longer needs to apply with IBCC for O and A levels equivalence certificate.
The petitioner had challenged the order of IBCC which had refused to issue equivalence of O level to the petitioner since she had not studied Islamiat and Pakistan Studies subjects in O Level examinations.
After hearing both the sides, the judge disposed of the petition by setting aside the order of IBCC and in the light of the undertaking of HEC, directed the HEC to attest the petitioner’s degrees.