GUJRAT: Two senior most office-holders of the University of Gujrat (UoG) have been accused of using their influence to help secure gold medals and high scores in various varsity exams for their family members.

According to some faculty members, senior administrative officials and students, who sought anonymity, wife of a senior most office-holder who had passed her SSC and Intermediate exams with 2nd division in 1990 and 1992, respectively, appeared in the BA examination under UoG and, despite a gap of 18 years which she spent as a housewife, passed the examination scoring 524 marks. “She didn’t stop here and did her Masters in English Literature from the UoG with distinction of more than 90 percent marks, receiving a gold medal,” a faculty member said.

He said the story did not end here as the lady went further for MPhil degree and scored CGPA of 3.9 or 97% marks winning yet another gold medal.

Moreover, a daughter of the same official, who completed her four-year BS Electrical Engineering bagged a record A-Plus in 61 subjects out of total of 64 with a CGPA of 3.95, he said.

Another member of the family, the offical’s son, who is a School of Law student has to his credit in four completed semesters 23 A-Plus out of 24 subjects with a CGPA of 3.95, he added. Similarly, the sources said, the daughter of a dean topped in the BS Environmental Science exam, while her sister grabbed a gold medal, smashing her record in the same programme.

UoG Registrar Dr Tahir Aqeel, also the varsity spokesman, said that he had received an anonymous complaint containing the said charges which was also addressed to the prime minister of Pakistan. He said that he referred the matter to the concerned departments for verification.

He said as per the responses from the respective departments, no influence was used either by any dean or academic or administrative officer for giving any favour to the relatives of the two senior officers.

However, the complainants were not satisfied with the registrar’s response and vowed to take up the matter with the higher education department, demanding constitution of a committee for conducting a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2019