The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday resolved the issue of more than 2500 students dual degree programme of COMSATS, Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) in collaboration with Lancaster University and ordered special audit of the fee collected by them.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will verify the degrees issued by COMSATS and Pakistan Engineering Council will also accept the same.
However, HEC will not verify the degrees issued by Lancaster University in Pakistan; it was decided in the meeting of PAC held under the Chairmanship of Syed Khursheed Shah.
The PAC also directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to conduct special audit of the fee collected by the university amounting to 2000 pounds for each student.
The PAC Chairman observed that the university should take prior permission from HEC to start programme and also sought policy on dual degree programme from the commission.
It was necessary for both universities to get approval of the dual degree programme from their Board of Directors but COMSATS Board did not approve it and asked the university to obtain approval from HEC and meet all legal measures, he added.
He said that the syllabus of British university is not being taught; therefore its degree should not be issued.
Since the CIIT never took the NOC from the commission, the Pakistan Engineering Council or its board of governors (BoG), the MoU between both universities stands null and void. Two degrees cannot be issued for one course, he added.
Shahida Akhter member of the PAC said students were facing problems due to the negligence of both the institutions and added this matter should be resolved.
Rector of the COMSATS University informed the PAC, the board had given approval of this program and that time HEC representative was also present in the meeting. He added that the course was also evaluated.
To this the Chairman said, HEC and COMSATS both were wrong but PAC had to resolve the matter. The meeting was attended by MNAs, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry, Shahida Akhter Ali, Mian Manan, Naveed Qamar and Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
