High court issues notices to DUET VC on contempt plea

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the Dawood University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), its vice chancellor and its registrar on a contempt-of-court application against the DUET administration violating the court orders.

Mohammad Fahad and other petitioners submitted in the application that the DUET had undertaken before the court that it would reconsider its notification with regard to the cancellation of the engineering students’ admissions that was issued on July 19, 2023, and that the students would be treated on a par with other students without discrimination.

Their counsel Usman Farooq submitted that the court order issued on November 30 last year clearly stated that the counsel for the petitioners was satisfied with the undertaking made by the DUET’s counsel, leading to the disposal of the instant petition in those terms.

He submitted that regrettably, the DUET had failed to honour its undertaking, and despite the assurance given before the court, the university had not proceeded with the readmission of the students, resulting in a clear violation of the rights of the petitioners and the order of the court.

He also submitted that the affected students had even appealed before the syndicate for readmission, yet the university had not adhered to its commitment, thereby causing further distress to the affected students.

He said that the alleged contemner, the registrar of the university, had issued an illegal and unauthorised notification that was a clear violation of the rights of the students and the orders of the court.

He mentioned that the university administration has allowed readmission to a student named Amir Ali Gaho, who was first suspended on November 11, 2022, then on January 19, 2023, and now again on October 21, 2023, for violating the discipline during the examinations.

But, he pointed out, one of the petitioners, Mohammad Haseeb, did not get readmission. The counsel submitted that the act of the university showed clear discrimination reflected from the behaviour of the university administration by dealing the students with such kind of behaviour.

The court was requested to initiate contempt-of-court proceedings against the DUET, its VC and its registrar for the violation of the court’s orders. The court, after the preliminary hearing of the application, issued notices to the DUET, its VC and others, calling for them to file their comments.

Fahad and five other students had filed petitions challenging the DUET administration’s notifications with regard to the cancellation of their admissions for protesting against fee hike.