LAHORE – Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday ordered the director general National Accountability Bureau, Lahore to complete the inquiry regarding the transcript issue of Sargodha University within a week and submit its report to the court.
While hearing a petition of students of private campuses of the university at the Lahore Registry of the Supreme Court, he further asked the DG NAB to hear the university’s vice-chancellor who has put his job at stake by exposing the sub-campuses scam involving influential people. The top judge expressed concern over the poor quality of the sub-campuses, adding that they are distributing degrees without a regular faculty in place.
Appearing before the court, VC Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad informed the court that the private sub-campuses students’ transcript issue has been resolved according to the court’s order. He highlighted the unlawful constitution of the five Sub-Campuses including Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin campuses which were not even approved by the university syndicate.
The VC said that they allowed admissions over and above the allocated seats in different programs, for example, computer science and IT Department admitted 4500 students in a year whereas the main campus is admitting just 1500 students to maintain its higher standard. He added that the sub-campuses conducted the exams of their students their own without any control and involvement of the University.
The University of Sargodha had established five sub-campuses without proper advertisement, open competition and proper feasibility studies. The CEOs of these sub-campuses also lacked expertise and experience in the field of higher education, explained the VC, adding that the Public-Private Partnership Policy was prepared in a haphazard manner without safeguarding the interest of a public sector University and completion of legal obligations.
The VC further said that the private campuses had been turned into money making machines, cheating the poor and lower middle-class parents and playing with the future of our youth. He sought the closure of these campuses terming it ‘favour’ on the nation and urged NAB to bring the culprits to book as the watchdog is already investigating the matter.
The Chief Justice appreciated the work of the VC Sargodha University in acting against the powerful owners of the private sub-campuses.
It is worth noting that the Syndicate, taking a sympathetic view, had decided to issue the transcript to the students of private Sub-Campuses. However, It has restricted the private sub-campuses from making new admissions during 2018.
