ISRA varsity banned from offering admissions

Higher Education Commission issues alert for students

ISLAMABAD:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has banned ISRA University from offering new admissions in all three campuses after internal (administrative) issues brought the whole affairs of the university to a standstill.

“In order to protect the future of students, admissions in all disciplines in ISRA University have been stopped from Fall 2022. This will include all admissions including medical colleges, in the principal seat in Hyderabad as well as Karachi and Islamabad till the resolution of the ongoing crisis,” said an alert issued by the HEC.

The regulatory body has also warned the ISRA University of the cancellation of its no-objection certificate (NOC) if it failed to resolve issues within one month.

Sources said that on Wednesday, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed held a meeting with ISRA University Vice-Chancellor Dr Nazir Ashraf Laghari and members of the Qazi family, who have allegedly occupied the Karachi and Islamabad campuses of the university.

After listening to both sides, the HEC chairman placed a bar on admissions in all three campuses of ISRA University in Hyderabad, Karachi and Islamabad, the sources said adding that he also issued a warning to cancel the NOC of the university if it failed to resolve the issue within a month.

According to the sources, ISRA University Vice-Chancellor Dr Nazir Ashraf Laghari has accused the Qazi family of violating the charter of the university by getting the university degrees printed from a private publisher and handing them over to the students. Laghari has also accused the Qazi family of illegally occupying properties of the university.

After listening to both parties, the HEC chairman has banned ISRA University from offering new admissions for the fall semester, 2022. The HEC has informed the students about the new development by issuing an alert.

Earlier, the HEC had barred affiliated colleges from offering MPhil and PhD degrees. Colleges affiliated with public and private universities had been barred from offering admissions to MPhil and PhD programmes.

The HEC had said that it will not certify MPhil and PhD degrees of the affiliated colleges and institutions.

It had issued the student alert on admissions to colleges affiliated with universities.

The HEC had made it clear that admissions to MPhil and PhD in public and private colleges would be illegal and students should avoid seeking admissions to such colleges.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2022.