FAISALABAD: After a 13-year battle against alleged discrimination, a student of MSc at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) succeeded in proving he was discriminated against by the university and not allowed to resubmit his thesis.

In response to a petition filed by Mohammad Ilyas, a student of MSc Agri-engineering, Lahore High Court (LHC) judge Ali Akbar Qureshi directed the university administration to resolve the issue. On March 10, Ilyas will appear before the Graduate Studies and Research Board (GSRB) of the university and submit his thesis.

Earlier, the university board through a letter issued on July 29, 2004, had allowed an MSc student Zulfiqar Ali to resubmit his thesis. The letter left no option for the university but to admit that rules had been relaxed for Ali of the Agri Entomology Department.

Talking to Dawn, Ilyas said he had submitted his thesis on June 5, 2000 however the university issued him a letter for his viva on July 7, 2002.

He said the university had given him only 10 days to defend his thesis, which was “discriminatory” as the administration usually gave three months to each student for the purpose.

He alleged his supervisor Dr Faizanul Haq, who was chairman of the Department of Structure and Environment Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, did not process his thesis intentionally and gave him only 10 days for preparation.

“I could not prepare to defend my thesis in a short span of 10 days and take the defence session, which is why the university declared me fail on July 27, 2002,” he added.

The student claimed Dr Haq had been pressing his father Ijaz Ahmed, who was serving as admin officer in the university, for an illegal favour for an employee, Mohammad Arif, of the Farm Machinery Department.

“Dr Haq categorically asked my father to extend the required favour and submit a report in favour of Arif or he should forget about my degree. But my father did not bow down in front of Dr Haq, who ruined my career,” Ilyas added.

Through seven applications submitted till 2007, Ilyas said he tried to make the administration realise the facts, but nobody bothered to pay heed. He also submitted applications in local courts, which were rejected. Subsequently, in 2010 a petition had been submitted before the LHC and during arguments the letter to Zulfiqar Ali was produced mentioning the university had awarded him a chance.

“Refusing me the same chance is a clear example of discrimination on part of the university,” Ilyas said he told the judge.

According to the court order when the legal adviser, registrar and controller of examination of the university were confronted on the letter, they admitted Ali was given a chance by relaxing regulations after 10 years. The university was ready to treat Ilyas the same way if his issue was referred to GSRB.

Ilyas and his lawyer accepted the arrangement and the court referred the case to the research board of the university with a direction to decide it in terms of the letter issued by the university to Ali in 2004 after providing fair opportunity of hearing to the petitioner.

In response to a query that the university was going to give a chance to Ilyas, UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmed said: “I don’t agree and I have not allowed that dispensation. That is a case allowed by the court on the basis of a precedence. The student has cheated his way into the present situation.”

When Dr Ahmed was reminded that the university admitted before the court that Ilyas would be given a chance, he said: “Obviously, the case will be placed before the board.”

He did not reply the query that whether any probe committee was constituted to determine why the thesis of Ilyas was not processed.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2016