LAHORE: The Punjab University on Wednesday told the Lahore High Court that the varsity offered admission to a visually impaired girl in MPhil applied psychology, but she has not accept it so far.

PU counsel Awais Khalid further told the court that the student was informed that clinical psychology would not be feasible for her as it required eye-contact and physical examination of a patient.

Moreover, he said, the petitioner was allowed to use a magnifier to sit the written examination for clinical psychology but she could not meet the merit. He said the petitioner had sought admission in both programmes – applied and clinical psychology.

The counsel further told the court that the petitioner moved another petition on the same ground which was pending before another judge of the high court.

At this, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi referred the plea to the LHC chief justice with a request to consolidate both the petitions of the petitioner before one judge. Kinza Sajid had approached the court after the PU initially disallowed her to sit M.Phil clinical psychology exam. Through a counsel, the student pleaded that she secured a gold medal in graduation and applied for the admission in MPhil (clinical psychology).

She submitted that suffering from cataract, she requested the PU authorities to print the examination paper in a big font. However, the authorities not only rejected her application, but also barred her from sitting the examination, she added.

She also complained about misbehavior by some university officials.

The petitioner asked the court to order the PU administration to grant Ms Sajid admission in the MPhil clinical psychology and also take action against the officials involved in her mistreatment.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019