International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2009

Student allowed to take part in Int'l Olympiad
Lahore, July 10: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to ensure participation of an A-Level student in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2009, Germany, who was dropped at the eleventh hour from a group of six selected Pakistani students.

Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman issued this order while allowing a writ petition filed by the student Haseeb-ul-Hassan Zahid.

Petitioner's counsel Miss Sadia Khalid submitted that the petitioner being a student of A-Level appeared in the IQ test and International Science Talent Contest held in 2008 and also qualified achieving the 22nd place in the ranking among the 52 best Pakistani students.

She further informed the court that these 52 students were selected for the IMO after a lengthy process of examination and the petitioner qualified in all the tests obtaining the required marks.

Thereafter, a National Mathematics Olympiad was organised in the country and 28 students were short-listed who were called for the second training camp. During the camp, 18 students were able to retain their places while only 14 candidates were able to pass through the third round, she added.

Petitioner's counsel further said later on, the selected 14 students represented Pakistan in Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad in which Haseeb (petitioner) got third position.
The counsel said that after the final selection of six students, their registration for IMO was finalised and their passports, visas and even tickets were confirmed, as they were got registered with IMO-2009 to be held in Germany.

She pointed that out in order to further train the selected contestants, a training programme was initiated in which the petitioner and five other students were to improve their skills but surprisingly the petitioner was informed on June 27, 2009 by the programme director that he had been dropped owing to some disciplinary grounds.

The counsel pleaded that the petitioner was neither charge sheeted nor any explanation was ever sought from him. Therefore, the action of the respondents at the belated stage was against the law and all principles of natural justice.

Respondents appearing before the court stated that the petitioner during final training camp was evaluated by two qualified foreign members of the faculty at ASSMS GC University Lahore, Prof Dr Barbu Berceanu and Prof Dr Mircea Becheanu, who is also Pakistan Coordinator of IMO-2009.

They recommended that the petitioner should be dropped on account of disciplinary action as instead of improving his skills he spent time making drawings on his hands and some times tried to create disturbance for the other students in the class owing to his non-serious attitude. Following which, the petitioner's registration from IMO-2009 was recalled.

They argued that the reservation of ticket along with other participants could not be made in such a short time.

They pointed out that if the court allowed the petitioner to join the camp, the same could not be facilitated because IMO allowed the registration of the petitioner and HEC sanctioned the expenses of the petitioner's ticket as well as reservation of seat in the form of a group along with other five participants.

After hearing the arguments from both sides, Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman observed it appeared that the petitioner throughout the selection process had shown exceptional results by representing Pakistan in Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad and had obtained 3rd position.

The respondents also admitted that the petitioner had shown outstanding brilliance while participating in the International Mathematics Olympiads.

The judge observed that taking such extreme and harsh decision on account of allegations against the petitioner seemed to be unjustified and arbitrary.

Therefore, he directed the HEC and other respondents to facilitate and expedite the process to allow the petitioner to participate in IMO-2009 along with other five final selected students.

In case there was any delay in the sanction of the amount for ticket etc, the petitioner would make arrangements himself, which later on would be reimbursed to him, the judge wrote in his order. The Nation