Follow @Kalpoint_com

Abid Sher hands over copies of NIC, certificates to Punjab varsity

Posted on: Wed September 08, 2010

LAHORE: Chairman of National Assemblyís Standing Committee on Education Abid Sher Ali visited the Punjab University on Tuesday and handed over copies of his national identity card (NIC) and matriculation and intermediate certificates to the university authorities.

With this, the number of the MPsí documents received by the Punjab University (PU) has reached over 100 while the university has yet to receive copies of certificates and NICs of around 270 MPs that included around 18 those MPs whose degrees are yet to be verified by the university.

It is learnt that PML-N MNA Abid Sher Ali, who had raised the issue of fake degrees, had also assured the PU authorities to play his role in sensitising the MPs and senators to submit the required documents to the varsities so that the task might be completed as early as possible.

In early August this year, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had issued a directive to various universities, including the PU, to contact the politicians whom they had awarded graduation degrees and ask them to give copies of their matriculation and intermediate certificates as well as the NICs for verification by the Commission. It had set August 25, 2010 as last date to complete the task.

However, most of the universities, including the PU, failed to meet the deadline. The PU had received matriculation and intermediate certificates and NICs of around 12 MPs out of over 300 by August 25. A number of MPs had contacted the universities and expressed inability to provide the documents instantly.

It is also important to mention here that recently, the HEC extended the last date and asked the universities to complete the process by Eidul Fitr. However, now the universities have received formal directive from the HEC according to which the universities have to complete the task by September 25, 2010.

According to sources, the PU had also written to provincial assemblies, NA and Senate to provide present addresses of MPs and senators.

The PU, so far, has received the reply from the Senate in which it has been advised to visit the Senate"s website to get the present addresses of the Senators belonging to all the parties whose documents are required by the university.

In May 2010, the National Assembly"s Standing Committee on Education had handed over degrees of parliamentarians to the HEC for verification following many sitting MPs were said to have obtained fake degrees to contest the February 2008 polls for which graduation was the minimum qualification.

Courtesy : Business Recorder