PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Member National Assembly Murad Saeed failed on Monday to appear before the committee that is probing his controversial case of passing three papers in violation of university rules. His absence prompted the committee to conclude its investigation.The committee is expected to file its report soon, sources told The News. They said the committee was convinced that the make-up examination was arranged in violation of the prescribed procedure and it is likely to declare the papers null and vide. The committee is also expected to recommend stern action against the teachers involved in the reported violation of the university rules and arranging the make-up examination in haste.According to the sources, the papers were arranged the day the MNA submitted an application and these were checked and marked the same day, which cannot be justified by any means. The committee waited for the MNA for four days. Murad Saeed set different dates for coming to the university to appear before the committee. He was likely to be there on Monday, but he didn’t. Also, he didn’t respond to the repeated calls of the university officials, the sources said. Finally, the committee members decided to consider the press conference, which he had addressed in Islamabad a few days ago as his statement and stop waiting for him anymore.The three-member committee had the mandate to check whether the exams were arranged in line with the university rules or not. The committee found that the procedure was violated, the sources said. It was also found that some teachers were involved in extending undue favour to the MNA, who is also member of the central executive committee of PTI.The committee is expected to recommend action against all such teachers and other staff members, the sources said. Meanwhile, chairperson of the department Dr Shahida Zakir confirmed that she has tendered resignation from her office. “I have sent my resignation to the vice-chancellor,” she told this reporter. However, she rejected the impression that there was any pressure on her to resign. She said she didn’t want to remain in the office till the inquiry is concluded and responsibility is fixed. Murad Saeed was accused of managing to arrange make-exam for his two failed papers, which he solved in less than one hour and the papers were checked and marked the same day.Though he refuted the allegations in a press conference in Islamabad the day the story appeared in the media, the papers were found properly checked and he secured 55 and 72 marks in them, respectively. Murad Saeed remained a student of the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Peshawar from 2005 to 2009. The result of this session was declared in May 2010. His result was declared late because record of his three papers – Ecology, Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Remote Sensing - was missing. This year his ecology teacher Dr Sardar Khan produced record of his paper in which the MNA had obtained 60 marks.There were questions that needed answers - why the record of this lone candidate was missing for so many years and did the teacher present attendance sheet of the paper and so on. The remaining papers were arranged for him on March 2. There were reports that one of the teachers had brought with him a paper – Remote Sensing - already solved with pencil and the MNA just over-wrote it with pen. However, according to sources, forensic test of the paper was conducted and the rumours were found baseless.The other paper consisted of some childish questions like: “Name five fruits? Name a few pesticides?”
