Domino effect: Senior journalists leave BOL amid controversy

Published May 23, 2015
Kamran Khan said his conscience is not letting him work with Bol. -Photo Courtesy Bol Network
Kamran Khan said his conscience is not letting him work with Bol. -Photo Courtesy Bol Network

KARACHI: Senior journalists associated with Bol Network — the sister organisation of Axact — have announced their resignations from the company just days after an explosive New York Times story raised questions about Axact's involvement in a fake degree scam.

Kamran Khan, the president and editor-in-chief (co -founder) of BOL Group, was the first to announce his disassociation from Bol.

The senior investigative reporter tweeted that while charges against Axact are far from proven in court, his conscience is not letting him continue and that he has decided to part ways with Bol immediately.

Azhar Abbas, the president and CEO of BOL News, also announced his resignation through Twitter, saying that he has resigned from BOL after speaking with his editors and staff. Abbas wished his team great success in future.

Senior Executive Vice President of Bol Network Iftikhar Ahmed and Executive vice president and senior anchorperson Asma Shirazi are also among the high-profile journalists who have resigned so far.

Know more: Nisar vows transparent investigation of Axact fake degree scam

Investigative journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan has also announced his resignation from Bol Network, saying he will soon be joining some other news channel.

There are reports that other senior journalists associated with Bol Network will be tendering their resignations soon.

Last week, action against Axact kicked off after Nisar ordered an inquiry into the story published by The New York Times that claimed the company was issuing fake degrees as part of a massive, global scam.

The minister in his directive also said that the FIA was to determine whether the contents of the NYT story were true and whether the company was involved in any illegal business which may bring a "bad name" to Pakistan.

The detailed NYT report titled "Fake Diplomas, Real Cash: Pakistani Company Axact Reaps Millions" and written by New York Times Pakistan bureau chief Declan Walsh outlined how Axact — referred to as a "secretive Pakistani software company" — allegedly earned millions of dollars from scams involving fake degrees, non-existent online universities and manipulation of customers.

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