IHC quashes AIOU decision, orders fresh review of professor’s case

Justice Muhammad Asif issued the detailed judgment on Writ Petition No. 5124 of 2025, filed by Dr Hina Noor, who challenged the university’s

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has dealt a setback to Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), declaring its decision to reject a candidate’s application for an Associate Professor position unlawful and ordering the university to reconsider the matter within 30 days.

Justice Muhammad Asif issued the detailed judgment on Writ Petition No. 5124 of 2025, filed by Dr Hina Noor, who challenged the university’s decision to disqualify her from consideration for the advertised post.

Dr Hina has been serving as an Assistant Professor (BPS-19) in AIOU’s Department of Special Education since 2021. She applied for the Associate Professor position but was rejected by the university on July 16, 2025, on the grounds that her PhD was in Education rather than Special Education. Her final appeal against the decision was also rejected through a notification issued on November 13, 2025.

The petitioner argued that her PhD research focused on the rehabilitation of profoundly hearing-impaired children in Punjab, a subject directly related to the field of Special Education. Foundation University, Rawalpindi Campus, which awarded her degree, had also verified the specialization of her research.

The Islamabad High Court relied on a 2018 Supreme Court judgment, reported as 2018 SCMR 1191, and observed that a PhD specialization cannot be determined solely from the title or nomenclature appearing on the degree. Instead, the nature of the research and the subject of the thesis must also be taken into account.

The court noted that if the university had already considered the same academic qualification and research relevant for Dr Hina’s appointment as an Assistant Professor, it could not reject the qualification for a higher position without providing a convincing and lawful justification.

However, the court stopped short of ordering Dr Hina’s direct appointment as Associate Professor. Instead, it set aside the university’s November 13, 2025 decision and directed the competent authority to reconsider her eligibility by examining her research, thesis and the relevant Higher Education Commission (HEC) regulations.

The university has been instructed to complete the review within 30 days and issue a detailed written decision in accordance with the law.

The ruling underscores the importance of evaluating academic qualifications on the basis of the substance of a candidate’s research rather than relying solely on the wording used in a degree title.