Al-Khair varsity degrees recognition case: IHC dismisses intra-court appeal

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed an intra-court appeal (ICA) against the decision of Higher Education Commission (HEC) for not recognising the degrees of Al-Khair University.

IHC division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani upheld the judgement of IHC single member bench on an ICA moved by the students of university and associated colleges.

The order states that court had no authority to direct the regulator of higher education to recognise the degrees of the students.

The HEC would accept the degrees of those students who had availed themselves of fifty percent marks in tests in accordance with its policy. The students had to pass the test to get their degrees accepted and verified. The court, however, asked the HEC to review its decision pertaining to the recognition of degrees of MS, MPhil and PhD, adding that the court had suspended the notification of HEC from May 8, 2012 to September 30, 2015.

The court asked the HEC to review its decision regarding the students who took admission during the period of stay order passed by IHC. Only HEC was a regulator institution of higher education in Pakistan and AJK as well, it said, adding that the associated colleges had played with the future of students.

IHC further said that the decision would affect several students but the court could not set aside HEC's policy only on this ground.