Court warns BZU officials of jail for defiance

BZU Lahore campus case

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench on Monday came hard on Bazhauddin Zakarya University’s vice-chancellor and registrar for failing to complete the process of adjusting students of Lahore Campus in various universities in compliance with court’s interim order.

The court warned the officials of the varsity to follow court’s order before the next date of hearing, or be ready to go to jail. The bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi made the remarks while hearing several petitions moved by students of the sub-campus seeking NOCs, issuance of degrees  as well as their recognition.  On February 7, 2017, the bench passed an interim order in which the university was directed to issue degrees to students who had passed their examinations at Lahore sub-campus.

The petitioner-students through their counsels told the bench that despite court orders they had not been issued degrees and also NOCs. The bench took notice of non-compliance of its previous order and observed, “Kot Lakhpat jail is not far from here.” The court, in this regard, gave time to the officials and put off further proceedings until March 6.

Almost 4,000 students had filed their petitions and challenged non-recognition of their degrees as well as non-issuance of their degrees. They said that they paid huge fee to the varsity and attended classes but despite all this, they had been deprived of degrees. They prayed that their degrees be issued and also be recognised by the authorities concerned. The students had also staged several protests against the administration of the sub-campus of the varsity.