HEC’s conditional NOC for Lahore Leads University’s G-12 campus raises legal and regulatory questions

The Higher Education Commission's (HEC) conditional approval for Lahore Leads University's temporary campus in Islamabad's G-12 sector

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) conditional approval for Lahore Leads University’s temporary campus in Islamabad’s G-12 sector has raised questions about the legal status of the premises, protection of students’ fees and the university’s ability to establish a permanent campus within the timeline prescribed by the regulator.

According to the HEC’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued on June 6, 2026, the university was permitted to operate its Islamabad sub-campus until December 31, 2027 for BS Computer Science and Bachelor of Business Administration programmes, subject to applicable HEC regulations and other legal requirements.

One of the notable conditions in the NOC requires the university to pay affected students three times the total fee and other charges if any legal or administrative dispute results in the closure or disruption of the G-12 campus. The inclusion of this condition raises questions about the nature of the potential legal or administrative risks that HEC sought to address through the financial safeguard.

HEC has also placed responsibility for any dispute, claim, litigation, deficiency or irregularity concerning ownership of the premises and approvals from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) or any other competent authority on Lahore Leads University. The commission has made it clear that it would not be responsible for such proceedings.

This raises questions about whether HEC independently verified the university’s ownership or valid lease of the G-12 premises and whether all required approvals had been obtained before the NOC was issued.

Under another condition, Lahore Leads University has been directed to establish a permanent, purpose-built Islamabad campus at Mouza Tumair near Bahria Enclave within three years of the NOC’s issuance. HEC is expected to review progress after the completion of this period.

Questions therefore remain about whether the university currently possesses the required land at the proposed location and whether construction of the permanent campus can be completed within the prescribed timeframe.

The NOC also requires the temporary campus to meet faculty and teacher-student ratio requirements, provide adequate academic infrastructure, obtain accreditation for relevant programmes and submit a compliance report by October 2027. HEC has further stated that an inspection committee will visit the campus before any extension of the NOC is considered.

Another issue concerns the wording used in promotional material. Advertisements for the Islamabad campus reportedly describe it as an “HEC Approved Campus” and promote BS Computer Science, BBA and Associate Degree programmes. However, the HEC document describes the G-12 facility as a sub-campus operating under a conditional NOC that remains valid only until December 31, 2027.

The NOC also states that the approval does not exempt the university from fulfilling other other statutory and regulatory requirements. This raises the question of whether promotional wording sufficiently communicates the temporary and conditional nature of the approval to prospective students and their parents.

The HEC conditions further require the university to maintain complete student records, strengthen its quality assurance mechanisms, provide medical and safety facilities, improve parking and student services, and maintain required library resources and academic journals.

The available record also shows that the university issued a circular in March 2026 disowning an advertisement for admissions to a Multan campus, stating that the advertisement had been circulated on social media.

For this report, HEC was asked to clarify whether it had verified the ownership or lease of the G-12 premises, the required CDA and FGEHA approvals, the availability of land at Mouza Tumair and the inspection and case record forming the basis of the June 6 NOC.

Lahore Leads University was also asked about the three-times fee compensation condition, its legal control over the G-12 premises, the status of land at Mouza Tumair and whether the term “HEC Approved Campus” accurately reflects the temporary and conditional nature of the NOC.

No response had been received from HEC or Lahore Leads University at the time of filing. Any response received later will be incorporated into the report.

The key concern for students and parents remains what protections would apply if the temporary campus faces a legal or regulatory dispute, the permanent campus is not completed within the stipulated period, or the NOC is not extended after its expiry.

These questions do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by the university or any official. They highlight the need for clarification regarding the campus’s legal status, regulatory approvals, student fee protection and compliance with the conditions attached to the NOC.