Politicians first, academics next: AIOU seeks to get its house in order

Latest initiative triggered by allegations that university’s VC holds fake degree.

ISLAMABAD: As the degree verification process of politicians comes to an end, scrutinous eyes now appear to be looking in the direction of academics and university officials. The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has sought the degrees of all its staffers from grades 16 to 22 for verification.

AIOU issued the notification --- which almost all employees have complied with --- following news that its Vice Chancellor Dr Nazir Ahmad Sangi possessed a fake PhD degree he claimed to have obtained in Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Technology from the University of Liverpool in 1987.

An AIOU official shared photocopies of Sangi’s degree with The Express Tribune, confirming that it would be sent to the University of Liverpool to confirm its authenticity.

Documents submitted by Sangi also indicate that he completed his Bachelor of Engineering degree from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, in 1981. Sangi had included handwritten mark sheets issued by the university, but copies of the original degree are missing.



According to sources, the latest allegations leveled against Sangi surfaced after a senior faculty member disclosed that VC had no such PhD degree.

The AIOU administration said the documents of all employees would be carefully scrutinised within the next 15 days to end any speculation from inner and outer circles about fake degrees.

Officers Welfare Association President Mukhtiar Talpur lauded the initiative, saying “it will help eliminate the black sheep of the university, which is being run on public money.”

He did, however, express disappointment over the timing of the process, suggesting that all university officials should have undergone thorough background checks prior to joining AIOU. He added that degrees obtained in two or more disciplines over the same year must be examined more closely.

AIOU Registrar Muhammad Bashir Chaudhry claimed it was routine to go through such a process, before refuting allegations of Sangi’s fake degree.

“It is nothing but a campaign to malign the vice chancellor, bringing nothing but a bad name to the university which educates thousands of students across the country,” said Chaudhry.

Despite repeated attempts Sangi could not be reached for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2013.