Pasban’s Engr. Altaf Shakoor has denounced Ziauddin University action!

At a time when colleges have come to rely more on technology to handle academic records, an alleged portal glitch at Ziauddin University has wreaked havoc in the lives of its students. A number of students, with full attendance, were wrongly marked as short of the stated percentage. This technical error saw them barred from the very important examinations—putting months of labor and preparation at risk.

To add insult to injury, the students have now been requested to pay extra fees to reappear for re-exams. For already struggling families coping with increasing education expenses, this request has triggered furor and despondency.

Pasban Steps In: Altaf Shakoor Calls for Justice

Emphasizing the case of these students, Pasban Democratic Party President Engr. Altaf Shakoor has been gravely concerned about the situation. He emphatically referred to the situation as “unjust” and underlined that **students should never be punished for technical issues outside their control**.

Shakoor appealed to the administration of the university to re-take the exams without adding additional costs to the concerned candidates. He pointed out that fairness and transparency should always be at the center of academic institutions, and the imposition of sanctions on students because of institutional incompetence only erodes trust in the system.

Students’ Struggles: The Human Side of the Story

Behind the statistics and official pronouncements are the individual struggles of students. Most of them had toiled day and night to ensure perfect attendance, juggling lectures, assignments, and personal struggles. To such committed individuals, being unjustly disqualified because of a bug is akin to a betrayal of their efforts.

Parents also expressed ire, citing that the future of their children cannot be risked on flaky systems. The additional charge of re-exam fees has especially outraged low and middle-class families, where every rupee matters.

A student was quoted as saying that the experience has made them “mentally drained” and wondering if they could trust the institution to which they had entrusted their education.

Technology in Education: A Double-Edged Sword

While digitization has enhanced the convenience and efficiency of education, this case serves as a harsh reminder that blind trust in technology can have the boomerang effect. Universities tend to implement online portals for tracking attendance, fee management, and scheduling exams, but one small glitch in such systems can have life-changing implications for students.

The Ziauddin University case brings forth some vital questions:

• Who is held responsible when technology goes awry?
• Should the student be held responsible for institutional oversight?
• What can be done to prevent such incidents in the future by universities?

These are not administrative issues but ethical ones that have direct implications on the career advancement and mental well-being of young students.

A Call for Transparency and Reform

Pasban’s timely intervention calls for universities to examine their digital policies and mechanisms of accountability. Instead of passing the buck to students, institutions need to:

• Put effective backup systems in place.
• Permit manual checking in the event of discrepancies.
• Provide grievance redressal forums where students can air grievances without fear of reprisals.

These steps can restore trust and keep similar scandals at bay.

Students Deserve Fairness, Not Penalties

The Ziauddin University portal glitch has generated more than a technical discussion—it has turned into a fate of justice in Pakistan’s education sector. Engr. Altaf Shakoor’s request for a re-exam free of charge is not merely about monetary alleviation but restoring the confidence of the students in educational institutions.

At a time when students ought to be concentrating on their studies and future professions, they are caught in the midst of technological glitches and bureaucratic inflexibility. The message is very clear: no student should suffer for mistakes they did not make.

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