ISLAMABAD, June 17: After continuous correspondence between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the rector of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), it has been decided that another committee would be formed to look into the alleged plagiarism committed by an IIUI faculty member.

Rector of the university, Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai said two committees had been formed to look into the complaint of plagiarism against Dr Mohammad Sher, but the heads of both committees had refused to conduct an inquiry.

“I have instructed Sahibzada Sajid-ur-Rehman (Vice President IIUI) to form a committee and finalise the inquiry as per HEC guidelines. If the committee cannot finalise the inquiry, the case may be referred to HEC for a decision,” he said.

According to documents available with Dawn, the Director General quality assurance HEC, Ms Zia Batool, had sent a letter on December 11, 2012 to the president of IIUI.

She had stated that a representative of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) journal, Daniel J Costello, had informed HEC that Dr Mohammad Sher had committed level one plagiarism in the IEEE Publication Services and Products Board (PSPB) operation manual.

Ms Batool requested the university to take up the case and investigate the matter within 90 days according to the SOP (standard operating procedure).

An official of the university said the inquiry should have been finalised by March 15 but despite numerous HEC reminders, the university management had not initiated it.

Similarly, an official of HEC, requesting anonymity, said the IEEE in September 2012 had lodged a complaint against Dr Mohammad Sher stating that he had published a research paper “Application of Error Control Coding” on October 6, 1998 in their journal.

“IEEE maintained that Mr Sher had plagiarised the research paper and since HEC has been working against this practice, it should take action,” he said.

He said IEEE had also sent a soft copy of the research paper to the HEC which was checked for plagiarism through Turnitin, a plagiarism detecting software. It was found that a Level I (severe) plagiarism had been committed and the paper had been prepared from different research papers published in the IEEE journal.

Dr Muhammad Sher, who was awarded best university teacher by HEC in 2008, had also been caught for plagiarism in 2011 and had to publish an apology through the newspapers (documents available with Dawn).

Rector Yasinzai, while talking to Dawn, said he was aware of the past incident of plagiarism but that chapter had been closed. “I will ensure that the inquiry is completed because if our education system is doubted, no one will recognise our degrees,” he said.