LIKE in other spheres of national life, there is exploitation and corruption in the academic field, too. How unfortunate would it be to rigorously work on an idea and write an academic article, only to be named as the second author of the work? This experience is nothing new. Many research scholars pursuing MPhil and PhD degrees in Pakistan are deprived of their due authorship when their supervisors or research mentors force them to include them as corresponding authors.

Majority of these students do not report the disappearance of their authorship as they fear that their degrees would be at risk. Since these cases go unreported, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) also seems to be silent on such issues. Although a comprehensive anti-plagiarism policy was introduced in 2023, no reference was made to this academic dishonesty, where an author is deprived of his or her due credit.

The first scholar in line is considered the actual author, whereas others are considered contributors. Moreover, the contribution and appreciation are attri-buted to the first author, which makes it a case of academic dishonesty. I know of a case at a reputed university where an MS student was given an amount of Rs50,000 as a price for remaining silent about his supervisor’s dishonesty.

The major causes behind this academic corruption can vary, ranging from high-quality work produced by a professor’s student, a professor’s haste to complete the number of required publications needed for promotion, or merely a display of academic superiority. It is time the HEC drafted a policy regarding such academic dishonesty to stop students’ exploitation.

Kamran Akhtar Siddiqui
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2026