CJP seeks report on law colleges' reforms in 7 days

Directs to immediately remove blockades outside Hamza's residence

LAHORE: Raising concerns about deteriorating education standard, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday ordered formation of a committee to supervise and look into education quality at private law colleges.

The CJP passed these directives while hearing a suo moto notice at Supreme Court Lahore Registry on poor standards of legal education at private law colleges.

Seeking report on education quality and unregistered law colleges, he also directed the committee to submit its report on the matter in six weeks.

Referring to an advertisement poster making rounds on social media, the CJP said he had come across a picture offering BA degree in one day. "Such standard of education will not be allowed to continue in the country," he remarked.

Public varsities barred from granting affiliation to private law colleges on Saturday, the CJP had barred all public universities of the country from granting affiliation to new private law colleges.

Expressing displeasure over low-quality law education, Justice Nisar said the law education quality has been comprised and an LLB degree (law graduate degree) has become accessible to 'milk' and 'paan' vendors in the country.

The universities have introduced such an educational system that could entitle anyone to a university-level degree, the CJP noted.

On the occasion, he also constituted a committee under chairmanship of senior lawyer Hamid Khan to promote the quality of the legal education and propose reforms.

Moreover, he said the committee under Hamid Khan would supervise the reforms in education pertaining to the law.

The CJP also ordered the vice-chancellors of public law universities to submit an affidavit and restrained the Lahore High Court (LHC) from conducting a hearing into the cases pertaining to law colleges.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday directed the authorities to immediately remove barriers outside Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Hamza Shahbaz.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, gave this direction while hearing a suo moto case pertaining to blockade of roads at the apex court's Lahore registry.

The bench came down hard on the Punjab chief secretary for flouting its orders with regard to removal of street barriers from outside the lawmaker's residence. He informed that a security gate installed in the street near Hamza Shahbaz's house was removed, but barriers were still there for security purposes.

CJP Nisar asked him to explain as to who posed threat to the MNA, prompting him to install security barriers outside his residence in a zigzag manner. "Who is Hamza and I don't know any Hamza," the chief justice said. On this, the chief secretary replied Hamza was a member of the parliament and son of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

If there was any threat to him, why didn't he move to a safe place, CJP asked. "Why cannot these people reside where there is no life threat," he continued. "I am chief justice, but security barriers have not been erected outside my residence," he said.

CJP Nisar warned that he would travel around the city in a private car to ascertain whether or not security barriers were removed from the streets.

Taking exception to security guards taking bath in the open outside the lawmaker's residence, he warned that if the practice didn't stop, he would take strict action in this regard. - NNI