Two held for running bogus institutes

FIA says suspects involved in issuing fake nursing credentials

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has detained two suspects during raids on fake educational institutions allegedly involved in issuing bogus and unregistered nursing and technical degrees.

According to sources, a team led by FIA Islamabad’s Deputy Director EGOA Unit, Rana Shahid Habib, conducted a raid in Islamabad and rounded up Mubashir and Muhammad Zaman while acting on a complaint received from the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC).

The accused had set up several bogus institutions for skill development and nursing exams under the name of Unique Institute of Technical Education and National Institute of Modern Languages in the Khanna Pul area of the federal capital.

The accused allegedly issued phoney nursing certificates, diplomas and degrees to people on payment of exorbitant sums of money.

According to FIA investigators, the detainees have been accused of awarding fraudulent nursing diplomas, certificates, and degrees under the pretext of educational institutions.

They have also been accused of holding examinations under the cover of fictitious college boards and collecting enormous sums of money.

The accused once advertised admissions in several newspapers under the names of fictitious institutions.

The bogus institutions, however, lacked any nursing-related professors.

Further, the said institutes had no clinical practice affiliations with any hospitals and yet they were involved in issuing enrolled students with fake clinical practice certifications.

Officials claim that a huge quantity of fake technical degrees, nursing certificates, cards, diplomas, certificate-making equipment, colour printers and metal dye, monogram embossing machines and fake seals of government institutions have been recovered during raids at their offices.

While the accused have been arrested and an investigation has been launched, raids were also being carried out to arrest their accomplices.

The director of FIA Islamabad Zone appreciated the team's efforts and vowed to continue indiscriminate action against fake and illegal nursing colleges/institutions.

In February, the FIA Islamabad Zone arrested three suspects during its crackdown against elements involved in running illegal nursing institutes, using Pakistan Nursing Council’s name. The accused were allegedly issuing fake nursing diplomas, degrees, and nursing cards to students for huge sums of money.

Military imposter held

On the other hand, the FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle, Rawalpindi arrested an imposter who was involved in depriving innocent citizens of millions of rupees by tricking them into getting jobs in the Pakistan Armed Forces. The suspect posed himself to be a serving general of the Pakistan Army.

According to FIA officials, mobile phones, laptops, and fake service cards of various institutions were recovered from the possession of the accused.investigation was underway.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2023.