PHC dismisses degree verification writ

PESAHWAR:

A bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprises of Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Ibrahim dismissed the writ praying for re-verification of the BBA degree issued by the Orient University.

The petitioner contended that he had got BBA degree from the Orient University, and later, on its basis obtained MBA and MS from the Institute of Management Sciences and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology.

However, his degree was not verified by the Higher Education Commission.

The main question before the PHC was whether a degree obtained from a University not recognized by the HEC could be termed valid and extended legal credence? Answering this question the Court held that under Section 10 of the Higher Education Commission Ordinance, 2002, the Commission had the power to recognize or affiliate any University according to law and rules, however, Orient University had not been recognized, therefore the degree was neither permissible nor allowable and even could not be termed justifiable.

Further held 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 HEC, which had got the sole powers to regulate the status of an education institution.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2022.