IHC rejects plea seeking cancellation of O/A level exams

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday rejected a petition seeking cancellation of O and A level exams in-person.

The petition was filed by a group of students against the CAIE's decision and the government's approval for holding physical exams in the country amid third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier today, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of the petitioners’ lawyer.  

“We can’t issue any instructions,” the judge observed, hinting at referring the matter to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to make a decision in this regard.

Justice Minallah said courts cannot interfere in policy matters. “We can’t interfere in the NCOC’s policy decisions on the coronavirus,” he observed, noting the Government of Pakistan couldn’t issue any instructions to Cambridge as the former only facilitates the exams in the country.

The court said that only nine students filed the petition. The nine petitioners can’t be the representative of thousands of other students who may want to sit the physical exams, Justice Minallah remarked.

On Thursday, the British Council announced the commencement of the CAIE examinations going to be started from April 26 and ended on June 13 this year.