KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to the secretary for universities and boards over his absence during the hearing of a petition against an unwarranted delay in the announcement of annual examination results.

In the previous hearing, the bench had directed the secretary to appear after the SHC was moved against a delay in the announcement of results of matriculation, intermediate, bachelor’s and master’s annual examinations by the respective universities and boards in Sindh.

When the matter came up for hearing before the two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar on Thursday, the secretary was found absent.

Tells home department to constitute a JIT on a petition seeking recovery of two missing brothers

The bench observed that the purpose of the petition was to seek direction against the secretary to form some policy/SOP to ensure that the results after the annual examinations should be announced on their due dates mentioned in the rules. To overcome this unwarranted delay, the bench directed the secretary to assist the bench, but he was absent, it added.

It issued a show-cause notice to the secretary of universities and boards to explain why he failed to turn up and also issued his bailable warrant through the senior superintendent of police concerned till Dec 13.

The petitioner, Nazir Ahmed Dhoon, moved the court against the delay in the announcement of results of matriculation, intermediate, bachelor’s and master’s annual examinations by the respective universities and boards in Sindh.

The petitioner contended that 300,000 to 350,000 students had to suffer every year because of an alleged deliberate delay in the announcement of results and, therefore, they could not apply for admissions to other boards and universities as their admission dates had passed by the time the results were announced.

He further submitted that it was mandatory for every board, college and university to announce results of the annual examination within 120 days so that students could apply for admissions to intermediate, graduate and postgraduate studies.

The petitioner also contended that the various educational boards and universities were not trying to conduct supplementary exams for the students who failed in the initial exams. He asked the court to direct the respondents to announce the results within four months and conduct supplementary exams regularly to help the students.

Two missing brothers’ case

The SHC on Thursday directed a law officer of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, to ensure the attendance of a deputy superintendent of Rangers (DSR) at next hearing and also asked the home department to constitute a joint investigation team on a petition seeking the recovery of two missing brothers. A two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, who was hearing dozens of petitions about missing persons, observed that as per the petitioner his two sons, Saeedullah and Abdullah, were taken away allegedly by DSR Kaleem Awan.

Rangers law officer Habib Ahmed informed the bench that the DSR was posted in the border area. However, the bench directed him to ensure that the DSR must appear before it on Jan 16 and also asked the law officer to file an affidavit regarding the serious allegations against the officer of paramilitary force.

The bench also directed the home department to constitute a JIT to investigate the matter and asked the investigating officer to collect the mobile data record of the petitioner and produce at the next hearing after the petitioner’s lawyer contended that his client also received calls from the DSR.

Petitioner Mohammad Amin submitted that his son Saeedullah was taken away from the premises of the central prison in July last year shortly after his release in two cases lodged by the Counter-Terrorism Department. Later, he contended that his second son was also picked up, and sought their recovery.

Ex-minister’s bail extended

Another two-judge bench of the SHC on Thursday extended the interim pre-arrest bail earlier granted to former Sindh minister for local bodies Jam Khan Shoro in corruption inquiries till Dec 5.

The bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro also directed the National Accountability Bureau to provide relevant documents to the counsel after the lawyer for the applicant submitted that NAB referred to a meeting of the Karachi Development Authority, but it did not attach any document about the meeting.

The NAB official said three inquires were being conducted against the applicant, including alleged illegal auction of 62 plots of the KDA in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and allegedly taking bribes through his frontman.

On Oct 18, the bench had granted interim pre-arrest bail to Jam Khan Shoro against a surety bond of Rs1 million and directed him to join the investigation after he moved the SHC for bail as NAB issued a warrant for his arrest in corruption inquiries about alleged illegal allotment during his tenure as minister.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2018