Al-Khair university degrees from 2009-11 not to be recognised

Islamabad : After a long and hard review of proliferation of illegal affiliations granted by the Al-Khair University, Azad Jammu and Kashmir across Pakistan, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has notified that the degrees pertaining to 2009-11 period when admission was banned in the university will not be recognised.

As per the decision, the students who got enrolled and studied after October 17, 2011 at affiliated colleges and campuses of Al-Khair University, AJK other than main campus Bhimber in violation of directions of the Commission will have to appear in a comprehensive test for recognition of their awards.

All such students are being given an opportunity to appear in test and obtain 50 per cent marks in the comprehensive test for verification of their degree failing which their degrees will not be recognised.

The HEC has decided that all the expenditure on the conduct of test will be borne by Al-Khair University, AJK. Additionally, the university will have to reimburse one-time fee incurred to all such students enrolled after October 17, 2011 at affiliated colleges and campuses of Al-Khair University, AJK other than main campus at Bhimber as the university violated the commission’s directives and the students have suffered in terms of loss of time and mental agony.

The HEC review reveals that the deliberate acts of omission and commission by the Al-Khair University had played havoc with the career and lives of thousands of students besides damaging the sanctity of the higher education sector.

In this backdrop, and to alleviate wide discrepancies around degrees awarded by the Al-Khair University, HEC has notified on August 31, 2018 that “Degrees of all students enrolled up to April 30, 2009 including the graduates studied at affiliated colleges and campuses will be recognised by HEC subject to fulfilment of all codal formalities and in line with rules and regulations. Moreover, degrees of students enrolled and studied after October 17, 2011 at main campus Bhimber, AJK will also be recognised. The recognition of professional degrees (LLB/ DHMS/ BHMS/ B Architecture/ BSc Engineering/ BE Electrical etc.) will be subject to registration by relevant professional accreditation councils.”

In light of the HEC decision, degrees of all MS/ MPhil and PhD programmes will not be recognised, as the university was clearly directed through a letter issued in January, 2012 to refrain from launching any MS/ MPhil and PhD programme. The university will have to reimburse three times fee and expenses incurred to all the students enrolled by it in the MS and MPhil or PhD programmes in compensation to their sufferings in terms of loss of time and mental agony. These students will also be entitled to claim any other damages from the university for the wastage of their precious time and money.

The decision further elaborates that the university will be bound to reimburse three times fee and expenses incurred to all those graduates of Al-Khair University, AJK whose degrees will not be recognised by the HEC. Such students will also be entitled to claim any other damages from the university.

Moreover, new admissions and fresh intake of Al-Khair University, AJK will remain banned as already communicated to the university Since May 20, 2016. The HEC reveals in its decision that the attestation and verification of degrees will only be resumed on the basis of data of 75,894 graduates already submitted by Al-Khair University, AJK. In case of any discrepancy in the data, further disciplinary action will be taken against the university.

The HEC has advised the university to abide by all the directions and policies of HEC in letter and spirit in the interest of students.