University of Sindh convocation: Shariat court judge makes history by receiving honorary doctorate

KARACHI:

The chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court, Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan, has made history by becoming the first judge to receive a doctorate honoris causa in law through the University of Sindh.

Apart from the eminent jurist, the university also conferred a honorary law degree on Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, during a ceremony organised at Avari Towers on Sunday. Both the honoris causa recipients were alumni of the university and the awards were presented as merited in ‘recognition of their commendable services for the country,’ said the university vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Nazir Ahmad Mughal.



He was presiding over the ceremony where Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, a Supreme Court judge, was the chief guest, while Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani was the guest of honour.

“I am feeling truly honoured today that I am receiving this award from the place where I have spent memorable years of my life while completing my law degree,” said Justice Khan, who previously served as a judge in Sindh High Court and as federal secretary for law, justice and human rights.

Shah’s degree was received by MPA Kulsoom Chandio as the minister could not make it to the ceremony. The chief guest, Justice Jamali, appreciated the institution for awarding honorary degrees in recognition of its alumni’s services and hoped that Justice Khan will continue to strive for the rule of law.

The university has yielded 200 PhD and 300 MPhil scholars in the last four years.

Teachers oppose choices

Meanwhile, the award of honorary PhD degrees to Shah and Justice Khan has been opposed by the teachers of Sindh University. In a press release issued on Saturday, Sindh University Teachers Association’s (Suta) president Dr Azhar Ali Shah and secretary Dr Arfana Mallah described the move as a ‘political use of the highest academic degree’. They claimed the vice-chancellor is doling out these degrees to people who serve his interests.

The teachers also blamed the university syndicate for bowing to the VC by approving the PhD degrees. The Suta leaders also criticised the vice-chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University (Salu), Khairpur, Dr Parveen Shah, for according similar favours to politicians. Her university had also awarded an honorary PhD degree to chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Sunday.

Dr Parveen was the pro-vice-chancellor of Sindh University before she was transferred as the VC of SALU last year. “Such moves are tantamount to making these coveted degrees worthless,” said Dr Mallah.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2014.