LHC declaresPU equivalence dept illegal

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Monday declared functioning of equivalence department of Punjab University illegal. Justice Atir Mehmood of the LHC remarked that Punjab University has no jurisdiction to recognise degrees nor can exercise its jurisdiction to issue equivalence certificates.

The judge declared that it is the Higher Education Commission which has the sole authority to recognise degrees and issue equivalence in this regard. Once the degree is recognised by the HEC there can be no further objection raised by any university in giving admission to a student in postgraduate degree. The judge issued this order on a petition filed by Wajid Ali.

On petitioner’s behalf, Advocate Sheraz Zaka submitted that the sole prerogative to recognise degree is vested with the HEC. He said the PU is exploiting students and has opened equivalence department and is charging Rs1,000 for issuance of equivalence certificate. Sheraz Zaka argued that the HEC is vested with the authority to recognise degrees under Higher Education Commission Ordinance 2002. He said the standards of higher education is a federal subject, hence the authority to recognise degrees is vested with HEC, not the PU. He argued that after the formation of Legal Education Rules 2015, the sole authority to recognise degrees vested with the HEC and the Pakistan Bar Council regarding recognition of LLB degrees. And other than LLB degrees, the sole authority to issue equivalence certificate was vested with the HEC under Section 10 of the Higher Education Commission Ordinance, he said. The counsel said the PU had been acting beyond its powers and extorting money from students in the name of issuance of equivalence certificates for admission in masters programmes. He requested the court to declare the impugned department of the PU illegal.