A new scam has surfaced in University of Karachi (KU) where some officials of the varsity’s evening self-finance programme, run to generate the revenue, are clearing dues of defaulters worth millions of rupees against huge bribe, Pakistan Today learnt through reliable sources on Friday. On the other hand, the varsity’s high-ups are uninformed about new the financial corruption by its own employees.
As per reports, there is large number of evening shift students, who have passed their respective degree programmes, but their marks sheets and degrees were withheld by the varsity over non-payment of dues since last many years. Some officials of directorate of evening programme (DEP), KU, are providing fake statements to the students for the purpose of marks sheet against huge bribe. Once they get the marks sheet, they would be eligible to apply for graduate degrees and the varsity is awarding them degrees without verifying their due payments. A KU evening programme student, seeking anonymity, told Pakistan Today that he was enrolled in one of the varsity’s department for availing graduate degree in 2005. “I have passed my MA and cleared all the papers but I could not get marks sheet and degree due to non-payment of semester fee because of some domestic problems. When I applied for the marks sheet and degree, the varsity officials told me that I have to pay certain amount to clear my dues before the delivery of degree.”
“I have paid fee of only two semesters out of total eight semesters, he said. My actual dues including tuition and examination fee were Rs 85,000 but the varsity imposed Rs 1,64,500 penalty over non-payment of semester fee which took the figure to Rs 2,49,600”, he added
“An official on key post of KU DEP advised me to see him outside the university. I met him outside the varsity to get my problem resolved but he put me in real trouble. Initially he horrified me that I would be unable to get degree in my life as it is not possible for me to arrange Rs 2,49,600. The KU officials demanded Rs 1,30,000 to clear my outstanding dues and to get the degree”, the student complained.
“The official told that he will issue my marks sheet from the KU semester cell and on the basis of consolidated marks sheet, I would be able to apply for the degree and get the same. He also told me when a student applies for a degree on the basis of consolidated marks sheet, the varsity do not check its accounts details.”
DEP Director Prof Dr Abuzar Wajidi when approached for comments about the business run by his supporting staff under his nose, he was shocked. After having a meeting with the victim student, the director replied it was not his fault if some people in his department were taking bribe from the students for clearance of dues worth millions of rupees. “It is not possible for any student to get waiver of outstanding dues on the request of any departmental official,” he added. “If any student, who can not pay the penalty fee, approaches me I send the application to the Vice Chancellor (VC). If the VC grants some relief to the candidate, he is allowed some relaxation and not otherwise. If any department official is providing marks sheet to the defaulters against huge bribe, then it is fault of the KU semester cell. That is why they are not checking the account details of the applicant,” he added. KU Semester Cell Incharge Prof Dr Haider Abbas Rizvi told Pakistan Today that this was not possible that the semester cell awarded any student marks sheet without checking the accounts record.
“We accept the application of marks sheets on the basis of account’s clearance and if any candidate having not paid the semester fee applies for the marks sheet, the department does not entertain such applications,” he responded. ‘We award such sheets after the candidate bring dues clearance letter from evening programme and if some officials in DEP are issuing fake dues clearance letter to the candidates against bribe, the semester cell is not responsible for this act of corruption as it issues the marks sheets after checking the dues clearance certificate of every candidate,” he added.
