Statement awaited: MNA Murad Saeed yet to appear before inquiry committee

UoP investigating Saeed’s alleged passing of two exams after a four-year gap.

PESHAWAR:

With all the hype surrounding PTI MNA Murad Saeed’s alleged prowess of sitting for two stalled examinations within an hour and clearing them, the MNA is yet to appear before an enquiry committee formed at University of Peshawar to investigate the matter.

According to a senior university official, Saeed was supposed to appear before the enquiry committee on March 7 but has failed to show up.

The official said the MNA had said that he would appear before the committee along with the relevant evidence. “The committee has almost completed its report and is waiting for Saeed to give his statement, but he hasn’t even contacted UoP to explain his absence,” he said.

The issue surfaced last week when the Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) protested against the university administration claiming Saeed who attended UoP between 2005 and 2009 had been allowed to sit for two stalled exams on March 2—after a gap of over four years, in breach of the university’s rules.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, PkSF Provincial Secretary Information Muqarab Khan had questioned how the university administration was able to conduct such an unprecedented examination and provide special treatment to a student who was not eligible. “The student has to first attend the classes and qualify for the assessment,” he added, pointing out Saeed had not been a student for years.

The PkSF claims the MNA sat both exams within an hour and the results were declared the same day; he passed.

Saeed was enrolled in the four-year BS programme at the Department of Environment Studies. However, he did not clear three courses, Remote Sensing, Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Ecology from semesters 5, 6 and 7 respectively.

According to the university, the result of one of these papers has been missing for a while.

The UoP official said the committee is willing to take into consideration the affidavit and marksheet the MNA posted on his official Twitter account as they investigate the issue.

UoP Director Admissions Professor Dr Hizbullah told The Express Tribune 95% of the work has been completed in the Murad Saeed case, and his statement is awaited. “Without his appearance, the enquiry report cannot be completed.”

He added if the MNA fails to appear within the next two days the committee will announce a deadline and if he fails to honour that as well, then the committee is authorised to finalise its report.

Professor Dr Gulzar, Professor Dr Fazal Hadi and UoP Media Director Akhtar Amin Khan are part of the committee.

Meanwhile, PkSF protested outside the UoP vice chancellor’s office on Monday and demanded exemplary punishment for all people involved in letting Saeed sit for the papers and clear them.

The student organisation threatened to block GT Road in protest if the investigation is not completed within three days and those involved in violating the university’s rules are not punished.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2015.