Ministry ordered to put institute’s owner on ECL

E-Paper | June 24, 2026

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the interior ministry to place the owner of Preston Institute of Management Sciences and Technology (PIMSAT) on exit control list (ECL).

A full bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing petitions filed by the students of the institute against non-recognition of their degrees by the Higher Education Commission.

The HEC told the bench that it had asked the Punjab higher education department in 2009 to stop functioning of the Lahore campus of PIMSAT for being illegal. The commission said degrees of an illegally established institute could not be recognised.

Counsel for the students expressed apprehension that the owner of the institute could flee the country to avoid the court action.

At this, the bench ordered the interior ministry to put Chaudhry Munawar Ahmad on ECL and sought a detailed report from the HEC by third week of April.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2017

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MUHAMMAD FAHEEM KHAN

Mar 31, 2017 10:56am

So many institutes doing this, playing with student's future. A step in right direction

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SaIf zulfiqar

Mar 31, 2017 12:27pm

The inefficient Punjab government.

Recommend 0

Wajahtullah

Mar 31, 2017 01:50pm

The owner of PIMSAT is not alone. Almost every other private university is doing so. Is there anyone who could ask HEC why it is not declaring names of many other private sector universities and institutes operating illegally in Pakistan? The problem is with HEC. It let it happen right under its nose and take action only when so many people are affected. One may smell the possibility of making money by the government watchdogs. The name of University is publicized if it fails to meet their "expectations."

Recommend 0

Asim

Mar 31, 2017 01:54pm

How about other private universities and institutes? Will relevant agencies publicize their names? There is something fishy!

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Muhammad Mansoor Sajid

Mar 31, 2017 02:08pm

Why Government is keeping their eyes closed and i giving a tacit approval on the continuity of illigal and unrecognied educational institutions.

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Shaheer qureshi

Mar 31, 2017 04:51pm

Please do not let students suffer due to the greed of its owner. It's HEC that failed to monitor and warn institute against the establishment of the campus in other provinces. I believe there are many other universities and institutes that have illegal campuses running right under the nose of HEC.

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Malik

Mar 31, 2017 05:00pm

Why you are taking action against PIMSAT now,while it has been working since long? What is students fault? If HEC had taken action timely,it could have saved students time and money which they spent during their studies. Now to save students ,kindly recognise all those degrees which PIMSAT has already issued and HEC has verified/attested those degrees.

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Ahmad Junaid Raza

Mar 31, 2017 05:18pm

Student are blind, when they were going for admission did they check for the status of institute degree...accreditation

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Saleem qadri

Mar 31, 2017 06:35pm

No public sector university give any serious attention to HEC. HEC has become a tool to put a check on private sector universities. And it is alleged that those universities that keep certain "directors" of HEC "happy" get good ratings from the same. PIMSAT is a recognized degree awarding institute, which is visible on HEC website as degree awarding institution. Why wouldn't students go and get admission there? There are thousands of students who have graduated from the same institute in Karachi and doing pretty well in the industry. It would be nice to take the owner of the institute to the task. Punishing students by denying them recognition of their degrees is hitting those who are not responsible for the deeds of the greedy owners. By the way, education has become a business and every other private sector university is violating one or the other law pertaining to the higher education.

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Ahmar Zia

Mar 31, 2017 06:51pm

The best way to solve this problem is to punish the owner, not the institution or its students.

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No Room for Complacency

Apr 01, 2017 10:51am

Punishing students is the worst thing that HEC or any regulatory body is doing.

Recommend 0

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