ISLAMABAD: Doubts over academic qualification of Pakistan Housing Authority’s (PHA) high ranking officials have been cast with Deputy Director Rizwana Kousar Arain’s degree being re-verified and the department poising to take an action after Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) response, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
Rizwana Kousar Arain, who joined the service back in April 2013, had earlier submitted her University of Sindh, Jamshoro degrees for the process of verification and had interestingly been awarded the attestation by HEC.
However, recently, the matter came to light once again and the verification granted earlier by HEC has been declared null and void by a notification issued through the commission’s Accreditation and Attestation Division (AAD).
According to the notification sent to the University of Sindh, Jamshoro’s Controller of Examination Ghulam Murtaza Sial, AAD Director General Tahir Abbas Zaidi writes, “With reference to your Notification No. Ex.Sec.Verf./1390 dated May 2, 2017 regarding the cancellation of degrees issued to Rizwana Kousar Arain, the HEC attestation made on Bachelors of Commerce (B.Com) and Master of Science (pass) held by Rizwana Kouser Arain vide original attestation ticket No. 690010 & 690011 dated June 3, 2013 and vide photocopy attestation tickets No. 625910 and 625911 dated June 3, 2013 are hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.”
A senior official wishing anonymity told Pakistan Today that Rizwana’s degree case could open a flood-gate in the ministry because fingers rose on the credentials of a number of high officials.
He further said that the verifications of the fake degrees put a question mark on the HEC’s degrees verification mechanism. He stated that there is an apprehension that a number of other high officials could face a similar fate because their degrees have also been sent for verifications to HEC.
When contacted, PHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jamil Ahmed Khan said that Rizwana has been issued show-cause notice and a letter was written to the concerned university to reconfirm her degree. He added that she would be instantly fired once the university’s re-verification process of her degree completed, as there are official procedures which are being followed.
The CEO said that the letter had been written to the university five days ago and that the university is bound to respond within 14 days in this regard. He further stated that degrees of all high officials of the ministry have been sent to the HEC for re-verification.
“Degrees of few officials, who are from other countries, are sent to the Foreign Office so as to verify their degrees from concerned countries,” he added.