GCU files reply in veiled student admission case

LAHORE
Government College University (GCU) Lahore on Thursday submitted its reply to a petition of a female student who was declined admission for covering her face with a veil and stated that the petitioner had directly approached the LHC without availing alternate remedy of inquiry by the vice-chancellor.
Legal adviser of the university, Mian Abdul Quddus, submitted the written reply on behalf of the Department of Management Sciences of GCU. The petitioner’s counsel sought time to go through the reply and file rejoinder. The court accepted his plea and put off the hearing for October 16. The petitioner, Mehreen Shafaq, applied for admission in BA Applied Management Sciences course and passed written examination. During interview director management science department Najaf Yawar and member interview committee assistant professor Immad Upal asked the petitioner to unveil her face for identification. However, the girl refused to uncover her face. She was of the view that since she was a veiled woman and did not unveil her face before men falling under prohibitory clause. She said let the committee coordinator Asma identify her in separation. Director Najaf was unimpressed and turned down to grant admission to the girl. He said veiled women were already creating problems in the campus. The petitioner’s counsel Barrister Sajeel Shahryar pleaded that under the constitution every citizen is free to wear any dress with certain limits and refusing to grant admission on sole ground of wearing veil is a discriminatory act. The petitioner prayed the court to take action against the university’s administration on the issue.