Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar stated that educational institutions should have the autonomy to determine their admission policies without interference. He made this observation while sitting on a three-judge Supreme Court bench with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mussarat Hilali. The bench was reviewing appeals against Peshawar High Court and Lahore High Court orders regarding the equivalence of B.Tech and BSc degrees.
The case involved a student who applied for admission to an MSc Engineering program but was found ineligible because his B.Tech (Hons) degree was not considered equivalent to a BSc Engineering degree. The court upheld the university’s right to set its own admission criteria as long as they comply with applicable statutes and regulations. The judgement clarified that while B.Tech (Hons) and BSc Engineering are distinct disciplines, they can be considered equivalent for employment purposes.
Overall, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of respecting universities’ academic, administrative, and disciplinary autonomy, highlighting that interference in their affairs could lead to complications.
