HEC to block CNICs and Passports of Defaulters
The Higher Education Commission-sponsored Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed appropriate officials to freeze the CNIC and passports of the six professors who left the country after receiving their PhDs (HEC).
Six academics were transferred abroad for their PhDs, and the Faculty Development Program (FDP) of the Higher Education Commission was used to pay their tuition and stipends, according to information provided to the PAC by the Auditor General of Pakistan (HEC).
The programme cost Rs. 38 million in addition to the pay of Rs. 3.245 million, but because they chose not to return to Pakistan to work in their respective fields, the government lost Rs. 45.75 million in funding.
According to the agreement that the applicants and their guarantors signed with the HEC officials, the Auditor General’s representative gave details about six professors who did not return to Pakistan.
The Audit representative claimed that Khurram Nadeem had been chosen to complete his PhD abroad.His leave term was from April8,2008, to March4,2013, and he received a total of Rs. 5.39 million, comprising Rs. 1.96 million in salary and Rs. 3.40 million in fees and stipends.
Amna Shehzad was chosen to complete her PhD overseas.Her leave duration for the degree lasted from 20 January 2008 to 14 January2015, and she received Rs. 6.1 million in fees and a stipend from FDP money.
Noshaba Batool was chosen to pursue her PhD and received Rs. 8.64 million from FDP grants during the leave from 01/02/2008 to 03/08/2014.
From June29,2009, to June28,2010, Saima Ashfaq Khan received Rs. 6.92 million for her time studying overseas to earn a PhD.
Saleem Jehangir received Rs. 9.778 million for his tuition, stipend, and salary from 24 September 2007 to June30,2012, while Qamar Sultan Gohar received Rs. 8.921 million for his tuition, stipend, and salary during his leave for his PhD from 8 September 2008 to 7 September 2011.
The National Bureau of Investigation is looking into the matter, according to the HEC officials who were informed by university administration (NAB).
The administration of the universities has in this regard sent legal notices to the defaulters and their guarantors in an effort to recover the debt.
The PAC expressed its anger and demanded that the above-mentioned professors’ passports and CNICs be blocked because they had defrauded the nation.The chair added that the offenders had demonstrated how to defraud the nation for others.
It is a pertinent decision of HEC to block CNICs and Passports of Defaulters to protect public funds.
