LAHORE: Announcing a reserved verdict, the Lahore High Court on Monday declared illegal functioning of Punjab University’s equivalence department.

The university did not enjoy any jurisdiction to recognise degrees but the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had the sole power to recognise the degrees, Justice Atir Mahmood ruled in the decision passed on the petition of a citizen.

The verdict said the Punjab University could not exercise its jurisdiction to issue equivalence certificates. There could be no objection by any university after recognition of a degree by the HEC, it added.

The petitioner through his counsel Sheraz Zaka had argued that prerogative to recognise degree was vested with the HEC.

He said the Punjab University had been exploiting students by establishing its equivalence department that charged Rs1,000 to recognise a degree.

He stated that the HEC had the authority to recognise degrees under higher education commission ordinance 2002.

In its reply, the HEC had also termed the functioning of the equivalence department at the Punjab University illegal. However, the university defended functioning of its equivalence department saying it was a policy decision and the court could not interfere in the matter.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2017