Degree attestation: HEC’s expansion of services a welcome relief for applicants

With effect from June 1, applicants to receive documents within four days of submission.

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has finalised arrangements to expand existing space and hire more officials to facilitate citizens with the degree attestation process.

HEC Chairperson Dr Javaid Laghari said the decision to expand the facility, which is expected to be completed by June 1, was taken during a meeting with the commission’s senior officials.

He said the commission had also decided to hire the services of more courier companies to avoid delays in dispatching degrees to or receiving degrees from foreign countries for attestation purposes.

Laghari added that degree verification was an essential requirement for overseas Pakistanis seeking jobs or looking to further business interests.



Hundreds of applicants visiting the HEC’s main office were experiencing inordinate delays for degree attestation because of a lack of manpower and insufficient space, he said.

However, new arrangements have ensured that applicants will be able to receive their degrees within three to four days while urgent cases will be processed within one day.

Laghari said the HEC had recently cleared a backlog amounting to around 40,000 degrees, which were pending for attestation.

On fee status, Laghari said the charges for urgent requests would be nominally increased.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2013.