Varsity admin being threatened for cancelling fake degree?

KARACHI: The administration of Mehran Engineering University Jamshoro has come under threat after canceling the fake degree of an influential student.

Three top officers of the university confided to The News that some prominent politicians, including two elected representatives, were allegedly threatening and pressurising the varsity management, especially the Controller of Examination, to authenticate the fake degree of failed student, Aijaz Iqbal Arain.

According to the documentary evidences available with The News, Aijaz Iqbal Arain got a job in Descon Engineering Limited Lahore by submitting fake documents. Arain’s academic record was sent to the Mehran University for verification through a third party company Human Resources Solutions International. After verification, Controller of University Suhail Khatian declared the academic record of Arain as fake, fabricated and bogus. As a result, Arain lost the job.

Suhail Khatian lodged a complaint against Aijaz Iqbal for using fake documents of university for job and further studies. On the other hand, Arain not only got a job in Pakistan but also in the UAE for many years besides getting a master’s degree from there.

Suhail Khatian said the fake degree of Aijaz Arain was just a simple matter but some highly influential persons had made it a matter of their ego. “If some person’s educational documents are fake how can these be declared as genuine?” he argued.

Aijaz Iqbal was a student of university but he could not pass examination and was declared as failed. “Last year Aijaz approached me through some influential politicians to verify his fake documents as genuine but I plainly refused to do so,” said Khatian.

Khatian said some influential persons had threatened him through phone calls and letters and he had informed the university administration and police about the whole situation. Mehran University spokesman IH Soomro said the management had declared Aijaz Arain’s documents as bogus and got an FIR registered against him.

“No university employee is involved in the issuance of fake degree. However, the vice chancellor has constituted an Inquiry committee to probe the matter,” he added. Replying to a question, Soomro said if someone tried to pressurise the university management for any illegal work, they would be dealt with according to the law.  

Aijaz Iqbal told The News that he had passed all examinations and the university had issued him a pass certificate, marksheet and a degree and on the basis of these documents he worked in the UAE and got his master’s degree but now it was beyond him why Mr. Khatian had declared his documents as fake and got an FIR registered case against him due to which he lost his job.

To a question, Arain said neither he nor any other person had threatened Mr. Khatian or any officer. “I only requested an MNA and an adviser to the CM for resolving the matter; might be they had contacted the registrar or any other officer of university,” he added. “I have challenged this action of the registrar and the university in the Sindh High Court and am hopeful that I will get justice” concluded Mr. Arain.