HEC ‘seeks to recover Rs0.36 million’ from Christchurch victim

Official says once an official death certificate is submitted, will be attached in file, case will be closed

ISLAMABAD: The apex higher education body has allegedly sent a letter for the recovery of Rs0.367 million to the family of a Pakistani student who had been killed in horrific March Christchurch mosque attack after an official allegedly refused to accept that he had been killed.

Haroon Mahmood from the federal capital had availed a Higher Education Commission (HEC) and NEC scholarship to study in New Zealand. The 40-year-old was at Masjid Al-Noor, one of the two mosques attacked on March 15 with the carnage seeing 50 worshipers killed, including nine Pakistanis.

After the fatal attack, the governments of New Zealand and Pakistan had honoured all slain citizens while his name was also included in the official list of victims issued by the New Zealand government and other official emails.

However, an official at the HEC has allegedly refused to acknowledge this and is convinced that Mahmood is still alive.

The commission has now sent a letter to the former Sector G-9 resident that he owes the body Rs367,822 and that he should pay the HEC Finance Director General through a pay order.

Failing to do so, the letter warns Mahmood of legal action.

Mahmood’s family, meanwhile, said that after the father of two had completed his masters in business administration (MBA), he had sent several letters and emails to the HEC asking to settle his education debts but the body did not respond.

Now, they stated, the HEC had written to Mahmood and had used the word “wanted” for him.

His family stated that after receiving the letter, they had spoken to the relevant project director in HEC and explained to the official that Mahmood had been killed in the Christchurch attack and even showed the official list of victims which included his name.

However, the family stated that this did not convince the official who insisted that the New Zealand government separately write to the HEC stating this.

When contacted, HEC Spokesperson Ayesha Ikram said that Mahmood continued to live in New Zealand even after completing his degree, contrary to the terms of his scholarship. Hence, legal proceedings have been initiated against him in accordance with the law.

However, she stated that once his death certificate is furnished, it will be included in his file the matter will be closed. Mahmood used to work in the banking sector in Pakistan and tutored in economics and statistics at the Lincoln University in New Zealand for two years apart from lecturing in business at the Linguis International in Christchurch until April 2017. In May 2017, he had joined the Canterbury College, a private school for international students.

Co-workers had described him as a ‘very, very gentle and good person’.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2019.