Illegal sub-campus: LHC seeks details of HEC’s correspondence with BZU

Orders varsity to accommodate students affected by shutdown

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Punjab government to file details of its correspondence with the Higher Education Commission prior to the approval given to set up the Bahaudin Zakaria University Lahore campus .

The full bench, headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, also directed the BZU vice-chancellor to file details of students who went to its main campus in Multan after the closure of the new facility.

The HEC chairman told the court his organisation had not issued a no-objection certificate to set up the sub campus. He sent circulars to authorities to close the illegal sub-campus in Lahore. He stated students should get themselves enrolled with BZU and then a mechanism would be devised to accommodate them at different institutions.

He said HEC was also ready to provide additional funds for the completion of their education.

The BZU counsel said they were ready to accommodate the students of its Lahore campus and all affected students should get enrolled by January 20.

The students’ counsel said it was difficult for Lahore-based pupils to go to Multan and requested the court to issue directions to HEC to issue an NoC for these students.

The court put off the further hearing till January 17 and directed the BZU VC to file his written reply.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2017.