ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed on Wednesday called for greater regulation of commercial universities in the country which hand fake degrees to their students.
“Dubious educational institutions are selling fake degrees in the capital,” the HEC chairman said while addressing the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education on Professional Training.
Dr. Ahmad said that such universities endanger the future of youth and waste their parent’s money.
Speaking before the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad called for stronger regulation to control the mushroom growth of commercial universities which endanger the future of the youth and waste money of parents.
The committee, chaired by Senator Rahila Magsi, asked the Minister for Federal Education Muhammad Balighur Rahman and the HEC chairman to resolve issues faced by Islamabad Law College students.
Baligh assured the committee that the education ministry and the HEC will try to find a solution to the college’s affiliation with Islamia University Bahawalpur. Taking up a public complaint, the panel heard Mohammad Akmal, a student of Islamabad Law College.
Akmal told the committee that he got admitted in the college in 2015 and paid Rs. 60,000 as fee for part one of the course. However, after he gave examinations for part one, he was told that the Islamia University Bahawalpur has ended its affiliation.
Apart from Akmal, around 209 other students didn’t get admission in any other college. Akmal said that the Islamabad Law College was not even releasing the results of the exams.
HEC chairman said that the college was allegedly involved in selling of fake degrees.
The commission had warned the college not to accept new admissions and resolve the issue of its affiliation within six months, Dr Ahmed told the meeting attended by senators Azam Swati, Pervaiz Rasheed, Sehar Kamran, Nauman Wazir Khatak, NCHD Chairman Razina Alam Khan, NAVTTC Director General Zulifqar Cheema were present in the meeting.
He said that the college, rather than following HEC’s orders, started further admissions after obtaining a stay order from the court. Dr. Ahmed said that HEC had warned students and parents through an alert published in newspapers and on its website not to seek admissions in fake colleges and institutions.
Senator Wazir said that it was not enough to issue only an alert adding that the HEC should have closed down the institution. He suggested holding tests by a third party and get the students adjusted in other educational institutions.
Dr. Ahmed said that illegal institutions have become a major issue of Pakistan. Senator Sehar Kamran said that no action was being taken on the establishment of illegal institutions.
“Few students want to buy degrees through money which was not possible at reputed institutions therefore they turn to such dubious entities,” Dr. Ahmed said.