After the alleged involvement of University of Peshawar (UoP) Vice Chancellor Azmat Hayat Khan in plagiarism, the Joint Action Committee of Civil Society against Plagiarism on Thursday announced to launch ‘Save Peshawar University’ movement to stop any such future incidents. Idrees Kamal, Dr Syed Alam Mehsood and office bearers of other civil societies told a press conference that plagiarism was not only an academic dishonesty but it also challenged the moral norms of the society.
They told reporters that charges had been leveled against the vice chancellor for plagiarism in his PhD thesis on ‘The Durand line- its geo-strategic importance’, wherein the former was alleged to have copied the material from an Indian author Dr Kulont Kor’s thesis ‘Pak- Afghanistan relations’.
The inquiry committee of Higher Education Commission (HEC) reported back to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor on August 9 maintaining that plagiarism was proved and legal action against the vice chancellor was recommended.
The committee said that ‘zero tolerance for plagiarism’ was the slogan often raised on various literary platforms. The Supreme Court chief justice termed literary plagiarism as a legally punishable crime, it added.
Idrees Kamal and Dr Syed Alam Mehsood expressed their disapproval of the relevant authorities’ negligence in the matter. “Azmat Hayat is still enjoying the office and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor is a silent spectator, they said, adding that if the vice chancellor was allowed to continue as head of UoP it would be a disgrace and the university might get blacklisted internationally.