Meanwhile, the SHC informed the police about the rescue of 25 family members held captive and forced into forced labor in Benazirabad.
The Sindh High Court has allowed three students of Dawood University of Engineering and Technology to appear for their upcoming examinations conditionally after their admissions were canceled by the university administration.
The bench, which was hearing petitions filed by students Muhammad Uzair, Muhammad Zohaib and Muhammad Sajid, was informed on Wednesday that their admissions were suspended and subsequently revoked following allegations of misconduct.
The students had gone to court to challenge the university’s notice, which they said was issued without any investigation or opportunity to defend themselves.
Representing the petitioners, advocate Usman Farooq argued that the impugned notification was issued by the director of student affairs, who is also member secretary of the disciplinary committee, on the recommendations of the committee made in its September 17 meeting.
He argued that the disciplinary actions lacked transparency and violated due process. The defense lawyer argued that no evidence was presented and the students were not heard before their admission was canceled.
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The lawyer added that the students’ exams were close and if they were not allowed to sit for the exams, their academic future would be irreparably compromised. “Without a fair trial and substantiated evidence, students’ entire education is put at risk,” he said.
After hearing the arguments, the court granted conditional permission to the three students to appear for their upcoming exams. The bench ordered them to submit affidavits to the university administration as a prerequisite for their participation.
The petition names the Secretary of Education, the Vice-Chancellor of DUET, the Director of Student Affairs and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as respondents. The court notified all parties to submit their comments and adjourned the matter for further proceedings.
25 bonded laborers freed in Benazirabad
In another case, the Sindh High Court was informed that police managed to rescue 25 members of a family who were held captive and forced into forced labor for almost two years in Benazirabad district.
The report was submitted to Justice Hasan Akbar as per the court’s earlier directions, after the victims’ relatives filed a petition seeking their recovery.
According to the police report, the operation was carried out near the Main War Stop in Benazirabad, where the victims were found confined in the farmland of Ali Asghar Jamali. Those rescued included men, women and children, including a two-month-old infant.
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Police said the victims were illegally detained and forced to work without pay. After the rescue, they were safely relocated and provided with medical assistance.
Justice Hasan Akbar appreciated the efforts of the police teams of the two districts concerned in ensuring the safe recovery of the hostages within the stipulated time. The court had earlier ordered the police to carry out the recovery operation within three days and submit a detailed compliance report.
The judge observed that bonded labor remained a serious human rights concern in rural Sindh and ordered authorities to take strict action against those who keep workers in illegal detention.
