ISLAMABAD, Feb 17: More facts have surfaced in the PhD thesis scam of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) wherein a student had allegedly submitted a fake reference letter in support of his research work.

The Advanced Study and Research Board of the QAU, in its meeting on December 26, 2002, had expressed apprehensions regarding the validity of the letter, sources said.

Moreover, the QAU vice-chancellor had asked the board members to first check the correctness of the letter and then conduct viva voice of the student, the sources said.

Dr Shahbaz Ahmed Kureshi, who was doing his PhD in Biology in collusion with Dr Maqbool, his supervisor in the Biology department, had allegedly submitted a fake letter in support of his PhD thesis.

However, ignoring the orders of the vice-chancellor, the viva voice of Dr Koureshi was conducted just after the board’s meeting in January, 2003 in which he was declared successful.

As per university rules, after oral examination the case had to be reported back to the board for final approval. In the meantime, evidences were provided to the officials concerned and subsequently an inquiry committee was constituted to probe into the issue.

Paul Licht, the Professor & Dean Emeritus of Biological Sciences at University of California, Berkeley, the reported signatory of the letter, said he had not issued any letter.

“I have examined the photocopy of what is supposed to be my letter submitted in November 2002 in support of PhD theses in Biology submitted by Shahbaz Ahmad Kureshi from QAU. However, I am sorry to report that I didn’t submit the letter of support and this document is wholly fabricated and forged”, Mr Paul was quoted as saying.

“First, the letter is written on stationery from the Department of Zoology, which has not existed at Berkeley since 1998. The letter is not my style of writing and since I am not an expert on heart diseases, I have not agreed to review this PhD thesis and the signature is clearly not mine”.

“Also, there is a reference to my joining a research firm in New York, related to vaccine production. This claim is entirely false; I don’t work on vaccines. Clearly, this statement was not mine”.

When contacted Dr Maqbool refused to comment. “Since, an inquiry is going on, let it be completed first”, he said.

Dr M. Pervez, a member of the inquiry committee, told this reporter that the committee had started a comprehensive inquiry into the scam.

When asked about the time limit, he said it would take some time.