KARACHI: A student petitioned the Supreme Court after she was denied 20 extra marks for being a hafiz-e-Quran (a person who memorises Holy Quran) for admission to a medical university.
Shehla stated before the court that she would have been easily enrolled to the Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences, Quetta on merit if she was given 20 additional marks for being a hafiz-e-Quran.
The court questioned why should a hafiz-e-Quran student be given 20 extra marks for admission into medical and other universities.
“This can be a plus point when a person wants to become an imam of a mosque or a religious scholar but why should a person who has memorised Quran be given 20 extra marks? Can a hafiz-e-Quran student become a better doctor?” Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked.
“Being a hafiz-e-Quran is sacred but why admission into a medical college be given on this basis? the court asked.
When the petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that this was a sensitive matter, Justice Isa asked why was he worrying. “Religion makes things easier for us,” he remarked.
The court dismissed the petition of the student and ruled that it would hear the matter involving extra marks for hafiz-e-Quran students separately and issued notices to the government, Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and others to submit their response to the matter.
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