Degrees awarded by unrecognised varsities are not valid: PHC

Court dismisses Swabi university acting registrar’s petition seeking to verify his BBA degree

PESHAWAR:

In a landmark judgement, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) held on Friday that degrees conferred by universities that are not recognised by Higher Education Commission (HEC) cannot be termed as ‘valid’.

The decision was announced by a two-member bench comprising Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Ibrahim on writ petition filed by Muzammil Khan Advocate on behalf of Naveed Anjum, Acting Registrar of University of Swabi.

Barrister Syed Saad Ali Shah and Mansoor Advocate represented Higher Education Commission and University of Swabi.

The petitioner had approached the court for endorsement/re- verification of his BBA degree awarded by the Orient University.

The petitioner had contended that he had completed his bachelors from the Orient University, and later, on its strength obtained MBA and MS degrees from the Institute of Management Sciences and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi and Islamabad campuses, respectively.

“Due to his experience and high qualification, he was appointed as acting registrar. However, on complaint, he was directed to verify his antecedents... his BBA degree obtained from Orient University was not verified by the Higher Education Commission.,” read the petition.

The main question before the court was whether a degree obtained from a university not recognised by the HEC could be termed valid.

Also read: No deferment of 4-year, 2-year degrees: HEC

Answering the question, the court ruled that under Section 10 of the Higher Education Commission Ordinance, 2002, the commission had the power to recognise or affiliate any university according to law and rules. However, Orient University had not been recognised, therefore the degree was neither permissible nor allowable and even could not be termed justifiable.

The PHC said in the verdict that an educational institution not fulfilling the prescribed criteria laid down by the HEC could not issue degrees and issuance of such degrees were neither valid nor worth credence.

The judgment also declared that the court could not interfere with policy matters of the HEC, which had got the sole powers to regulate the status of an education institution.