IHC reserves verdict on students’ petition against vacating hostels & canceling session

ISLAMABAD (Mohammad Ibrahim Abbasi):  The Islamabad High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Quaid-e-Azam University against ending the summer session and vacating the hostels from the students.

The court reserved this verdict after a hearing presided over by Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro.

The petitioners appeared in the court along with their lawyers, while the university’s registrar and other officials appeared on summons. During the hearing, the arguments of the parties were heard in the court.

The petitioner’s lawyer took the stand that the summer session is held for educational improvement, the fees for which have already been collected from the students.

He said that the sudden decision to cancel the session and vacate the hostels will cause educational loss to the students.

On the other hand, the university registrar took the stand that 1138 illegal students are residing in the hostels, many of whom have not paid their dues, which are worth lakhs of rupees.

He informed the court that the condition of the hostels is dilapidated and serious incidents like rioting and setting fire to the hostels have occurred in the past by students.

The registrar even said that “most of the hostels are spies”, to which the court gave strong remarks. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro remarked: “It does not seem right that the police should handcuff children, you are parents, do parents treat children like this?”

He further said that the student affected by the FIR cannot serve in any institution in the future, as there is a clear judgment of the Supreme Court.

The university’s lawyer was of the view that the summer session is for two months, and now the time is short, while the registrar said that the FIR was registered under compulsion.

The petitioner’s lawyer told the court that last year, too, the summer session was announced on July 22, and this year, too, the summer fee has been collected from the students.
After the hearing was completed, the court reserved its decision on the students’ petition, which will be announced on a later date.