SHC orders reinstatement of 12 varsity students

Dawood Engineering University ready to re-admit the petitioners

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Saturday ordered the reinstatement of 12 students at Dawood Engineering University while hearing a petition challenging the cancellation of their admission.

Appearing before a two-judge bench, headed by SHC’s Acting Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Usman Farooq advocate, counsel for the petitioners, stated that the university has exams scheduled for December 4, 2023 and his clients be allowed to appear in the exams like their peers.

The university’s lawyer responded by expressing his client’s willingness to re-admit the students. Advocate Farooq voiced satisfaction with the university’s stance.

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Acting Chief Justice Abbasi remarked that admissions should be granted to students without discrimination. Subsequently, the court disposed of the application against the cancellation of the petitioners’ admission and ordered the university to reinstate them.

Advocate Farooq argued that the vice-chancellor’s cancellation of admission violates Section 11 of the Dawood Engineering University Act. “Cancellation should only occur in emergency situations,” he further argued. “The university had canceled the admissions of Muhammad Fahad, Izhan, Muhammad Faizan, Huzaifa, and Muhammad Haseeb without providing any show cause notice to the students.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2023.