The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the government on a writ petition challenging the appointment of Aitchison College’s board of governors and the new admission policy of the college.
Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh heard the first hearing of the petition filed by Sarah Khan and Aitchison alumni.
Their counsel argued that the government 19 people were appointed to the board, including Dr Sardar Ali Sadiq, son of the National Assembly speaker, Advocate Mustafa Ramday, the son of Justice (r) Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Information Technology Board Chairman Umar Saif, Syed Babar Ali and Dr Pervez Hassan.
The counsel said the board changed the admission policy in the college to ensure merit.
He said various quotas, including kinship, were abolished by the board. He said students from outside Lahore now had lesser chances of admission.
He said the change of policy was illegal and contrary to the long standing traditions of the school.
The lawyer said after changing the admission policy in June, the school had admitted 75 undeserving students and cleared 47 others who had failed the entrance test.
The counsel for the petitioners said the impugned admission policy was in conflict with Article 25-A of the Constitution.
The counsel asked the court to annul all impugned acts of the board and direct the college to revise its K-II lists in strict accordance with earlier-notified admissions criteria for 2014.
The counsel also requested the court to set aside appointments to the board made on political grounds.
Justice Sheikh issued notices to respondents with directions to submit their replies and linked the finality of admissions being held in the college to the final decision of the instant petitions.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2014.
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