ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: While the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has shown concerns over the fewer number of students enrolling for PhD and MPhil programmes at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), the latter has suggested that written test should not be a criterion for admission to these programmes.

'Our students mostly come from madressahs (seminaries) and they cannot pass the graduate record examination (GRE). It is alsodifficult for them to pass the written test having a portion for mathematics,' said Dr Sahibzada Sajidur Rehman, the vice-president of IIUI, while briefing the PhD review committee of the HEC at the campus on Monday.

The committee asked the university management to send the proposal to the HEC in writing, so that it can be considered.

Dr Rehman's suggestion came after one of the members of the committee said the number of PhD and MPhil students at the IIUI wasvery low.

The members of the committee also showed their concerns over the names of some of the subjects. For example, they referred to the subject 'Grammar', teaching of which was quite strange at the PhD level.

The committee comprised Dr Riaz Hussian Qureshi, adviser HEC; Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood Khan, Vice Chancellor Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi; Prof Dr Habibur Rehman, Vice Chancellor AzadJammu and Kashmir University, and Dr Saeeda Asadullah, former Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi.

Dr Rehman said Shariah Academy of the IIUI had frequently been organising various Islamic orientation courses for judges, lawyers, Muftis and other persons associated with legal departments. He also highlighted the role of Dawah Academy in translating the holy Quran into 11 different languages.