Student allowed to continue studies

Department had rejected the student over a 3rd division.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered Punjab University’s Geography Department chairperson to let an MPhil student continue his studies.

The court issued the order on a petition by Imran Siddique Kaukab, who said that he was admitted to the MPhil programme in 2009. He said that in 2010 Dr Abdul Ghaffar was appointed the chairperson of the department and refused to accept MPhil students into his department saying that the department did not have their record.

He said that the chairman eventually allowed other students to continue their studies, but refused to admit him.

The petitioner presented his result cards for the first and second semesters of the MPhil, showing he had obtained above average grades.

The chairman, who was also present in the hearing, said that the result cards were fake. On Wednesday, Assistant Prof Safdar Ali Sherazi and former department chairman Dr Tabassum Jamal told the court that the result cards were genuine.

Justice Ijaz Ahmed Khan then warned Dr Ghaffar that he could be jailed for misleading the court. The judge accepted the petition and directed the respondent chairman to let the petitioner continue his MPhil studies.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2011.