University of Karachi (KU) has decided to print graduate degree papers from Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to avoid printing of fake degrees.
The public varsity was in fix because of pressure before general and local body elections when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent degrees of politicians for verification to educational institutes. The new printing system would help public sector institutions to point out candidates who had applied for government jobs on basis of fake and forged degrees.
It was discovered that the paper, which is used for printing of graduates’ educational degrees, is easily available in open market. Investigation into this matter also disclosed that the original degrees in some varsities were sold at Rs 3,000. No one could challenge such forged educational degrees as they apparently looked original but when such degrees were sent for verification these were termed fake due to lack of academic record.
An agent, who sold graduate degrees of public sector varsities of Karachi for Rs 3,000, requesting anonymity, told Pakistan Today that he was former student of the province’s highly reputed Karachi University. “I have a master’s degree from the university but I never needed a job because I make more money by forging fake degrees,” he said.
“I have original paper that is used by the city’s public sector universities for award of graduate degree to its student,” he said, adding that he also had contracts with writers of varsities who wrote graduate degrees.
“Without any political support it is nearly impossible to run this high-revenue generating business,” he said, adding that he was a political worker and whenever his party assigned to provide fake degrees to another party worker for contesting election, I provide the degree.” KU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser told Pakistan Today that KU had a contact PSPCL for printing of graduate degrees to avoid printing of fake degrees. “The quality of the degree paper, which would be printed by corporation, is that it has multiple dots in the paper which cannot be copied,” the VC added. “We are negotiating with the printing corporation for printing of degree papers and we are hopeful that we will overcome this menace shortly,” he added.
