ISLAMABAD: An audit report presented to the National Assembly has revealed serious irregularities in the accounts and administrative affairs of Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology.

The special audit for 2015-16, which was presented to the lower house of parliament last week, was conducted on the directions of President Mamnoon Hussain, who is also the chancellor of the university.

It showed the manipulation of student records, fake degrees, irregularities in financial matters and selection of non-deserving candidates for foreign scholarships.

The report said the Presidency had asked for the special audit pertaining to the period when Dr Zafar Iqbal was the vice chancellor. Mr Iqbal was removed from the post by the president over a number of allegations, on the basis of an inquiry report.

The Federal Urdu University, which also has a campus in Islamabad with over 4,500 students, was accused by auditors of malpractices in managing the examination results.

The auditors said the university conducted the annual BCom examination (private candidates, both parts) in August 2014 after registering 1,013 candidates, out of whom 917 appeared in the exam and 269 passed.

The university notified the result through its gazette on February 25, 2015, which was made a part of the tabulation register (containing details of marks obtained, status of pass, fail and absent students).

“Subsequent to the announcement of the results in the gazette, changes were made to the results of 107 candidates that allowed outsiders to enter,” said the report.

It added that 66 candidates were either absent/failed but against their seat numbers pass results were notified with the names of outsiders who neither appeared in the exam, nor were registered with the university.

The report said the university management did not provide the receipts of registration and examination of the 66 persons who were declared successful, indicating they were not enrolled with the university, nor did they apply for the examination.

“41 candidates were either absent/failed but declared successful in the tabulation register,” the report said, adding similar was the case with 43 candidates of BCom part I exam conducted in 2012 and 42 candidates of BA Part-1 2013.

“The management replied that a committee had already been formed which submitted a report to the VC where fake degrees, fake results, irregularities, changes in the results were found that pertained to the period when Dr Masood Mashkoor was the controller examinations,” the report said, adding the case should be referred to an investigating agency.

Unfair selection for scholarships

The report said the management of the university awarded PhD scholarships to 22 faculty members, of whom only one had passed the National Testing Service (NTS) test.

“The university ignored other NTS-qualified candidates and selected only one candidate who had qualified the NTS test and was recommended by the committee. The remaining 21 candidates had neither appeared/passed the NTS test nor were recommended by the committee.”

The process of selection was not fair and in violation of the PC-I as well as the SOP issued by the HEC.

“The management replied that internal and external faculty had appeared in the NTS test in different phases; hence the management awarded PhD scholarships to the faculty as well as external candidates. Some of the scholarships were awarded to candidates who belonged to the Islamabad campus.” But the auditors said the university’s reply was not acceptable.

They also said the management of the university awarded PhD scholarships to six faculty members who did not report back after completion of their studies and an expenditure of Rs37.65 million was incurred on their education.

“The management replied that the scholars/employees had been dismissed from the university service.” But the report rejected the reply because the university did not recover the amount and extended undue favours to the beneficiaries.

The audit also pointed out the university’s negligence in not utilising Rs80 million released by the HEC in 2014 for the establishment of the Islamabad campus. It said the funds were not utilised before June 30, 2014, and were in a saving account.

Other irregularities were also detected, including irregular appointments, unauthorised promotions, unauthorised bank accounts, irregular expenditures worth millions of rupees and the issuance of laptops to two employees under the prime minister’s youth programme.

“The internal control of the organisation was weak and also not transparent. The case of irregular appointments of choice persons, selection of scholars for training/PhD course abroad by the VC were the classic examples. Funds were utilised for hiring a security agency owned/managed by a sister of the treasurer of the university even though the university had its own security force,” the report concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017