PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the two National Testing Service tests for admission to the University of Peshawar’s over 40 BS degree courses and allowed the university to go ahead with the admission process.

Justice Qaiser Rasheed and Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan also vacated a stay order issued last month suspending the admission process.

The court declared both NTS tests in accordance with the law and directed the university to consider both test results for admissions.

Dismisses petition against NTS tests for over 40 BS courses

The petition was filed by lawyer Mohammad Isa Khan, who said the entry test for admission to those courses was conducted by the NTS on Aug 29 and 30 but the university later held another test without citing any valid reason and allowing the candidates, who had failed the earlier test, to sit it.

The petitioner alleged that the second test was held after the relatives of some university staff members failed the first one.

He said the holding of the second test would adversely affect the merit of those, who had passed the first test.

The petitioner wondered when the test was successfully held and its results were also announced, why it was conducted afresh.

He also said the holding of the second test was also perhaps meant to collect funds as the test fee was Rs1,500 per candidate.

The petitioner requested the court to declare the holding of the second test illegal.

Waseemuddin Khattak, lawyer for the University of Peshawar, submitted the results of the two tests.

He said only 58 of the candidates, who had appeared in the first test, had sat the second one.

The lawyer said 6,500 candidates appeared in the first test and 5,000 in the second.

He said several candidates didn’t sit the test and therefore, their parents had requested the university to hold it again.

The lawyer said mala fide intent wasn’t involved in the matter on part of the university.

He said only few candidates, who had failed the first test, had reappeared in the second.

The lawyer requested the court not to extend the stray order saying there is a lot of anxiety among successful students.

He also said there were reports that several successful candidates had also opted for admission to private universities due to the suspension of the admission process at the UoP.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2018