ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Higher Education Commission to close down all the illegal campuses of the private universities asking the commission to issue degrees to the students who have passed out from theses illegal campuses in some other special way.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case against the campuses of private universities in Islamabad. The apex court while giving order to shut down all illegal campuses of private varsities, directed to implement the uniform policies of the HEC. It said that no compromise would be made on the provision of standard higher education to the young generation.
The court asked the federal and provincial governments to maintain the standard of the Higher Education Commission. The Supreme Court said the petition sought court’s order regarding permission to private universities of setting up their campuses outside their premises. But the HEC made it clear that they could not establish such campuses outside their respective buildings.
The court, in its order, said that the HEC several times issued alerts to private varsities warning them about the illegality of their campuses. The court observed that the federal and provincial governments had not cooperated with the HEC in this regard. Students’ lawyer Ali Zafar informed the SC that a court had ordered the NAB to take an action against the private universities.
On which, Justice Bandial remarked that the HEC was fully authorized and there was no need to take the matter to the NAB. He further said if the HEC was weak and could not take action, then the court would order the Centre. Lawyer Ali Zafar said that students went to the Lahore High Court for the issuance of their degrees and the LHC had declared the private varsities’ campuses illegal.
Justice Bandial remarked that the LHC decision was based on facts. Preston and Al-Khair universities have established their illegal campuses in Lahore and Karachi. The students went to the court against the HEC decision that barred the illegal campuses from issuing degrees.