ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court allowed the students of various law colleges affiliated with Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) to take the LLB examination.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Monday heard the case seeking implementation of its order 31.08.2018 regarding the LLB programme.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had ordered to phase out the LLB (three-year) programme and a five-year LLB programme was introduced in September 2019. The law colleges were barred from admitting students to the three-year programme after December 31, 2018.
After the apex court’s verdict, the BZU syndicate allowed 100 seats per college but the 41 colleges exceeded the limit and enrolled more students for LLB part-1 (three-year course) session 2018. The colleges were to enrol 4,100 students as they were allotted 100 seats each but they had admitted 14,000 aspirants. The bench directed the committee, set up on the order of the apex court, that two weeks after the examination submit a report about the student admissions in 41 law colleges.
Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, a member of the committee, informed that 14,000 students were admitted in the law colleges affiliated with the BZU, adding out of the total 9,000 admissions seem fake. He informed that in 2018 the apex court had abolished the three-year LLB programme.
The lawyer, representing the university, said that the exams of the 2016 Session are being held now.
Justice Ijaz expressing astonishment said they don’t understand this that the examinations of 2016 batch are being held now. He inquired how 14,000 students could be admitted in one Session (2018).
The counsel said that 41 law colleges are affiliated with the BZU. Upon that, Justice Ijaz remarked that many law colleges are set up in one room, adding this seemed to be a source of earning money.
Nazir informed that despite the Supreme Court’s order the university did not cancel the affiliation of any law college.
Justice Ijaz said they had ordered to cancel the affiliation of 32 law colleges.
Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi said non-complying with the Court’s verdict entailed initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the vice-chancellor of the university.
Justice Ijaz observed that despite the apex court’s direction fake law colleges were not de-affiliated. He said they would involve the FIA in scrutiny of the fake law colleges, adding fake admission is not a minor issue.
Justice Muneeb Akhtar said if at this stage they involve the FIA and disallow the students to appear in the examination then nothing would happen for six years. He further said that the Court has to protect the rights of the law students. The Court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022