LAHORE: The Lahore High Court issued notices to the Punjab government and others on Wednesday on a writ petition challenging the appointment of Aitchison College's board of governors (BoGs) and change in admission policy. Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh held first hearing of the petition filed by Sarah Khan and other former Aitchisonians where their lawyer argued that the government had shown nepotism in appointing members of BoGs in the historic education institution.

Advocate Azhar Siddique said that 19 people were appointed to BoGs, including Dr Sardar Ali Sadiq, son of the National Assembly speaker, advocate Mustafa Ramday, son of retired Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Information Technology Board chairman Umar Saif, Syed Babar Ali and Dr Pervez Hasan. The counsel said the BoGs changed admission policy in the college in the name of implementing merit. Different quotas, including kinship, were also abolished by the board, he said, adding that students from outside Lahore would have meagre chances of admission in the light of the new policy.

He said the change of policy for the purposes of admission was not only illegal but contrary to the long standing customs and traditions of the school.

He said the board by changing the admission policy in June last admitted 75 students beyond merit and passed 47 others who failed in the entrance test.

Advocate Siddique argued that the impugned admission policy was in conflict with Article 25-A of the Constitution.

The counsel prayed to the court to annul all impugned acts of the BoGs 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 the appointment of the members of the BoGs for being made on political grounds.

Justice Sheikh issued notices to the respondents, including BoGs members, with directions to submit their replies and linked the finality of admissions being held in the college with decision of the instant petitions.

The judge would resume hearing in the second week of August.

Published in Dawn, July 17th , 2014