KARACHI, April 6: The division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed, Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafri and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, disposed of the constitutional petition of Ayesha Aleem, a DBS student of the Fatima Jinnah Dental College Karachi, with directives that she may be awarded degree after she qualifies all examinations of the BDS, treating her as student for the academic year 2000-01.

Ayesha Aleem had passed the general certificate of education examination (A & O Level) from University of Cambridge through City School Karachi in 1999 and secured 65.57 per cent marks. After passing examination, the Karachi University had issued her certificate, certifying that she had passed her GCE (A & O Level) examination, which was equivalent to Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) pre-medical examination, with 68.57 per cent marks.

Ayesha Aleem then applied for admission to Fatima Jinnah Dental College and succeeded in getting in the academic year-2000. Later, on Feb 10, 2001, she was informed by the Karachi University that she was not eligible for admission, as she had secured O-Grade in Chemistry in her exam of 1999. However, later she improved her grade in June 2000 and was awarded F-Grade in Chemistry in June 2000 session.

Ayesha Aleem, meanwhile, successfully passed her first, second and third year of BDS examination and now she was waiting for her final year examination.

Zia Ahmed Awam, Lawyer for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) President, who was the advocate for petitioner, argued that the petitioner had secured required marks for admission in the Academic Year 2000 and the university granted equivalent provisional certificate and it had been withdrawn without any lawful authority.

The court disposed of the petition with the direction that the petitioner may be awarded degree after her qualifying all exams of BDS, treating her as student for the Academic Year 2000-1.—PPI