KARACHI: A Karachi University (KU) body investigating the charge of plagiarism against Prof Sulaiman D. Mohammad, the acting vice chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast), has found ‘substantial’ evidence of plagiarism and recommended that the PhD degree in economics awarded to him in 2010 should be withdrawn.

It’s the third time that the charge of plagiarism has been proved against him, as previously the committees at Fuuast and the Higher Education Commission, which had forwarded his case to KU, had come up with similar reports.

The KU report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, was presented last month in its syndicate meeting that decided the report would be given to each member for study and a decision would be taken under rules and regulations.

According to the report, prepared by the KU subcommittee on plagiarism, there was unanimity among all the committee members that the PhD thesis of Prof Sulaiman had substantial plagiarised content, and suggested that his doctorate degree be withdrawn.

“The PhD degree of Dr Sulaiman D. Mohammad should be withdrawn and re-submission and re-evaluation is required.

“In addition, the Board of Advanced Studies and Research may initiate an inquiry to investigate the standard operating procedures adopted to examine his thesis. A notification of plagiarism by the professor may also be circulated in the media,” recommended the report.

The committee comprised Prof Mohammad Nasiruddin Khan of Chemistry Department, Prof Shamshad Zarina of KU’s National Centre of Proteomics, Prof Anila Amber Malik of Psychology Department and Prof Mohammad Nishat of the Institute of Business Administration who was involved in the investigation as subject expert.

It is, however, strange that while the KU committee hadn’t made a detailed analysis of Prof Sulaiman’s PhD thesis in its report, it had criticised the earlier report of the HEC in which the commission had attempted to prove charges of plagiarism against him.

Pointing out ‘flaws’ in the HEC report, the KU’s findings said the report was written in a way that gave the impression that it had been generated from a software. “But in fact, the report was prepared manually, which is not a sensible way to count words and its similarity index.

“A careful content analysis was required as the thesis was in Urdu. The report was prepared without listening to the defendant, which was against the rules,” the KU report stated. Four KU teachers had submitted a note of dissent in the last syndicate meeting when the report on plagiarism was presented. They were of the view that rules and procedures had not been followed by the KU body while investigating the charge of plagiarism.

“Some teachers opposed this point of view and demanded that the report be opened so that the controversy over Prof Sulaiman’s degree comes to an end. The recommendation that Prof Sulaiman should be given an opportunity to re-submit his PhD thesis was also strongly opposed,” a syndicate member disclosed.

As a decision on the KU report by the university syndicate is awaited, Urdu varsity teachers have launched a movement to take the institution out of the administrative crisis it has been facing for many years.

“The crisis has badly affected the institution that faces an acute shortage of teachers. Teachers’ appointments and promotions are being delayed, as the university couldn’t hold its selection board meetings,” stated a recent press statement signed by Dr Syed Tahir Ali, Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Tahiri, Najmul Arfeen, Dr Ismail Moosa, Dr Mohammad Ali, Dr Sajid Jahangir, Dr Kausar Yasmeen and Dr Irfan Aziz.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2017