The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) to appear before the court on January 23 next and explained his position for not implementing a judgement against National Testing Service (NTS). The petitioner Abdul Rauf through his counsel stated that the court had ordered the HEC to ensure that the gist of judgement be publicly advertised so as to dispel the impression that NTS was a duly approved national testing body of the Commission.
Furthermore, HEC was also directed to intimate all the recognised universities and academic institutions that admissions/scholarships will not be dependent on the test conducted by NTS after May 30, 2014 and HEC would also display this order on its website to facilitate the public.
The petitioner said the HEC had wilfully disobeyed the court directions while a period of three and a half months had already elapsed, and it had not yet publicly advertised the gist of the order. Consequently, he said, a large number of advertisements continued pouring in the press for recruitment by the government as well as semi-government organisations through NTS due to lack of proper publicity. The petitioner pleaded that the chairman of the HEC committed a gross contempt of court and was therefore liable to be proceeded against according to law. The court after hearing the counsel adjourned hearing till January 23, 2015 and directed the HEC chairman to appear in person and explain his position.