LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has directed the Punjab University (PU) to get criminal cases registered against its employees involved in stealing the record of degrees.

The chief justice passed this order in a petition filed by Ms Gulzar Butt, a senior member of the bar, seeking verification of academic degrees of lawyers, especially those contesting elections.

A counsel for the university submitted a report about the verification of LLB degrees of the lawyers contesting elections of different bar associations. The report showed that record of some degrees was found missing and the officials concerned were being taken to task.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the report, Chief Justice Khan observed that the PU vice chancellor could not escape responsibility over the stolen record and apparently was not eligible to hold the post.

He also summoned the vice chancellor on the next hearing and directed the university to hold inspection of degrees of elected members of the Punjab Bar Council from 1999 to date. The university was also directed to verify degrees of the lawyers who contested elections of the district and tehsil bar associations in Punjab during the last five years.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2021