KU whistleblower alleges students' data was compromised

Data leaked spanned over 10 years; plain copies of printed degrees also inexplicably shifted to another institute

KARACHI: Karachi University's (KU) former examinations controller may have exposed thousands of former students to the risk of misuse of data by allegedly allowing unauthorised individuals access to ten years' worth of sensitive examination records, The Express Tribune has learnt.
Not only that, the former KU examinations controller also allegedly transferred around 41,000 plain printed KU degrees to another institute for as yet unexplained reasons.

Incumbent KU Examinations Controller Dr Arshad Azmi blew the whistle on the alarming developments. In a letter to KU Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, Azmi wrote that he came to know that plain KU degrees printed by the Pakistan Printing Press had been illegally transferred to the Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation upon taking charge on May 17.

Sindh’s largest public varsity set to increase fees

As many as 82 packets, each containing 500 plain degrees, were missing from the KU examination department when he took charge, Azmi stated. His predecessor, Dr Irfan Aziz, handed some of these to Deputy Controller Zafar Hussain after the packets had been missing for a year and a half.

Azmi added that he is not yet aware of the number of recovered plain degrees. "With whose permission were these degrees transferred to the Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation?" he questioned in his letter.

The current examinations controller also accused his predecessor of transferring exam data for years 2007 to 2017 to a KU Quality Enhancement Cell (QECKU) official named Javed Akram. He wrote that former controller Aziz asked the examination department's IT programmer to transfer the data to Akram. Regarding Akram, Azmi wrote that his appointment to QECKU is questionable as well since he was terminated by the Federal Urdu University and does not enjoy a good reputation.

Azmi concluded the letter by clarifying that all these activities took place before he took charge. He urged the KU vice chancellor to conduct a high-level investigation. Taking notice, Vice Chancellor Iraqi has composed an inquiry committee under former dean of pharmacy Dr Iqbal Azhar and directed it to submit a report in 15 days.

Former KU VC Dr Tirmizi passes away

Talking to The Express Tribune regarding the missing plain degrees, Azmi said although the contract with the Pakistan Printing Press to print them was signed during his previous stint as examination controller, they were not handed over to the university until after his term finished. When he resumed charge, he found that many of these degrees, which legally cannot be taken by the vice chancellor or examination director, were with the Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation.

The KU vice chancellor, when contacted, said more facts on the issue will be available once the committee files its report.