Probe into PU ICS paper leak begins

An inquiry committee formed by the Punjab chief minister has started its investigation into leakage of the MPhil entry test question paper by faculty members of the Punjab University (PU) Institute of Communication Studies (ICS), Pakistan Today has learnt.
The inquiry team personally recorded statements of ICS Director Dr Ahsan Akhtar Naz and faculty member Dr Affira Hamid and also searched office drawers and cupboards. Dr Affira alleged that the paper was leaked by Naz while Naz said that the paper was leaked when he was abroad. On the other hand, the ICS administration did not follow the Doctorate Program Coordination Committee (DPCC) rules during the MPhil admission process while the varsity administration said that the CM’s inquiry committee instructed them to hold an inquiry on their own, as the case of the ICS’ paper leakage is different from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) scam.
The team consists of one official each from the CM’s Secretariat, the Punjab Higher Education Department and the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment. According to a senior administrative official, they received a written letter from the CM’s Secretariat that the CM wants them to conduct an inquiry into leakage of the MPhil entrance test and meet ICS faculty members personally. Last week, the ICS acting director conducted a written test for admissions to MPhil Professional Track and Research Track. Dr Affira was assigned the duty by Naz, as he was visiting the UK for a conference and submitted sealed question papers to Dr Affira but the question paper was easily available in the market, which shocked the applicants and the varsity administration.
According to sources, after handing over question papers, Naz went abroad on the same day while Affira received a letter from an unidentified person informing her about the paper leakage. Affira immediately informed Faculty of Behavioural Sciences Dean Dr Hafeez while vice-chancellor (VC) Dr Mujahid Kamran also received the same letter from an unidentified source. According to Dr Affira, being an acting director she informed the dean and VC about leakage of the paper and in presence of the administration, when she opened those question papers that Naz handed over to her, everyone was shocked to see the same question paper, which was openly available in the market.
Dr Affira said that she recorded her statement to the CM’s inquiry committee and answered their questions and briefed them about the whole episode. Dr Naz said that he gave his statement to the inquiry team and he stands clear, as his stamp and signature were not the same, which were on the leaked paper and the whole episode is a worst example of forgery and corruption. He said that he showed the actual stamp of the department, which was being used at the department for many years and there is no corruption on his part.
According to a PU official, after recording the ICS teacher’s statement, the inquiry team came to know that nature of the leakage is different and the team gave the inquiry task to the PU. He said that PU’s own investigation team includes Faculty of Behavioural Sciences Dean Dr Hafeez, Additional Registrar Aurangzeb Alamgir and Controller of Examinations Liaqat Ali, is also probing into the issue. The official said that they are investigating and will bring the culprits before the people. He said that during the inquiry, some other kind of corruption is also being unearthed, as the ICS admission committee did not follow the DPCC rules this year. He said that some elements are trying to approach the PU inquiry team members but every thing will be held according to law and transparency will be assured.
A PU professor, seeking anonymity, said that actually the VC should take notice of ICS matters, as it is a matter of the varsity’s programme. He said that no corruption has been found at 72 departments of the varsity and the admissions committee is conducting the process under Dr Amin Athar in a fair manner but it is a tragedy that ICS has become a hub of corrupt elements, which are not only defaming the PU but Dr Kamran as well.
A similar misappropriation in MPhil admissions was seen in 2009 due to which ICS did not conduct MPhil admission tests in 2010, depriving genuine candidates of their right to admission and now it seems that students will be deprived from admissions again if the administration did not tackle the issue on merit.