HEC delaying degree verification

Yasir Nawaz, 29, pursued an MBA at the Al-Khair University, which he completed in 2014, but is unable to provide his employer with an attested degree because the Higher Education Commission (HEC) stopped attesting degrees from his alma mater last year.

After complaints of fake degrees issued by the university, the HEC began to verify all 78,000 degrees the university has issued since its inception in 1992.

The commission also stopped attesting degrees issued by the university, which caused difficulties for the university’s graduates.

“If Al-Khair is involved in fake degrees, how is that my fault? Why is my degree not recognised by the HEC,” asked Mr Nawaz, who is among thousands of students who say they hold genuine degrees but are denied attestation by the HEC.

Al-Khair graduates recently protested before the HEC for what they said was an unnecessary delay in the completion of the degree verification process.

“There could be a large number of fake degree holders, but what is the fault of those who possess genuine degrees and sans HEC’s attention are being denied jobs and admissions to other institutions, particularly foreign universities,” Mr Nawaz said.

He asked why the HEC is not conditionally attesting the degrees. “Investigating all the degrees issued by our university is a good step, but the long process is creating problems for those who hold genuine degrees,” he said.

The chairman of the HEC, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, when contacted, said a high-level inquiry is underway to verify the 78,000 degrees issued by the university.

“The inquiry was delayed because the university delayed providing data on all the students. Now the matter is near completion... Meanwhile, we are giving students who approach us a letter for onward submission to their employer and educational institutions that the process of verifying their degrees is underway,” he said.

Seminar on CPEC held at Nust

President Mamnoon Hussain said that after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is completed, Pakistan and the region will be connected to the world by ground, sea and air links, which will bolster trade and business activities and usher in a new era of progress and prosperity.

He was addressing a seminar on ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Opportunities and Challenges’, organised by the National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) and the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) on Wednesday.

The president said CPEC is a framework of regional connectivity that will not only benefit China and Pakistan but the entire region. He said the project has the potential to realise shared goals, harmony and collective development through the enhancement of geographical links.

Mr Hussain said CPEC would not only enhance regional connectivity in terms of infrastructure development, but would also lead to the economic integration of regional economies.

The seminar was also addressed by Science and Technology Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, IEP Preisdent Dr Izharul Haq and Nust Rector Lt Gen Naweed Zaman.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2017