LAHORE: The Punjab University (PU) administration has formed a committee to inquire into the allegations leveled against one of its Syndicate members regarding her MBIT degree which was ‘illegally’ declared equivalent to MPhil.

Headed by Prof Dr Saleem Haider, the director of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, the committee consists of Prof Dr Rafaqat Ali Akbar, Prof Dr Farah Malik and Dr Muhammad Shafique.

PU Vice-Chancellor Mujahid Kamran constituted the committee on the complaint of Electrical Engineering Department Assistant Professor Muhammad Azhar Naeem, said a spokesman on Monday.

Mr Naeem, in a letter to the VC, had alleged the degree of Master’s in Business and Information Technology (MBIT), obtained by Shumaila Gul, had fraudulently been held equivalent to MS/MPhil of the PU.

He alleged that Ms Gul had passed her BCom in June 2001 and got admission to MBIT with specialisation in marketing in September 2001. He said that according to the prospectus issued by PU Institute of Business and Information Technology (IBIT), the MBIT degree had two-and-a-half years duration (direct programme). Ms Gul obtained MBIT degree in three years whereas original duration was 2.5 years at that time.

After joining the IBIT as lecturer, Mr Naeem alleged, she applied for the grant of an equivalence certificate from the PU for pursuing PhD, claiming that her degree was equivalent to MS/MPhil and an equivalence certificate, wrongly stating MBIT as three-and-a-half years programme, was issued to her.

Quoting the PU rules, the assistant professor said the university issued equivalence certificates, recognising degrees of other universities as equivalent to corresponding degrees of this university whereas, in case of Ms Gul, the equivalence certificate had been issued by PU recognising its own degree as equivalent to MPhil, which was unprecedented.

Mr Naeem pointed out that MS/MPhil, as recognised by the Higher Education Commission, involved at least 18 years of education, including research thesis, whereas the MBIT obtained by Ms Gul consisted of 16-and-a-half years, i.e. B.Com (14 years of education) and MBIT (two-and-a-half years of education).

He maintained MPhil also included writing a research thesis whereas MBIT obtained by Ms Gul did not show any research thesis written by her according to the courses mentioned in the transcript.

According to Mr Naeem, Ms Gul also started drawing MPhil allowance at the rate of Rs5,000 per month on the basis of equivalence certificate, adding Ms Gul had unlawfully secured scholarship for PhD.

He requested the VC to take disciplinary action against Ms Gul and recover the entire amount paid to her illegally.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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