LAHORE: A two-member bench of the Supreme Court on Friday set aside a Lahore High Court verdict which held class 9 exam-age restriction of 12 years illegal.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar passed the orders while hearing an appeal filed by the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, here at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry.
During the proceedings, the board's counsel argued that the Lahore High Court had declared the minimum age limit of 12-year to sit Class IX examination as illegal.
He said that under Punjab Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Act 1975, the boards had the powers to set the minimum age restriction. He pleaded with the bench to set aside the LHC orders.
At this, the CJP observed that under the constitution, free books and education was right of every child. The CJP questioned how the board could set age limit.
If a child is intelligent then it did not mean that restrictions should be imposed on him, he added.
Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan observed that the boards were tasked to judge the students and not to put hurdles in their way.
The CJP observed that the bench was not inclined to empower boards to set the minimum age restriction.
The powers of education boards regarding minimum age restriction would be reviewed, if the issue arise in future, he added.
However, the bench set aside the LHC verdict but clarified that the verdict would not affect petitioners who approached the court after the LHC verdict.
The court further restrained the boards from stopping result cards and degrees of students who had availed relief in the light of LHC verdict.
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