A major scandal involving fake degrees and financial irregularities has been exposed at Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 514 suspicious degrees have reportedly been issued.
The provincial government has launched a crackdown on accountability in public universities, taking action against what it described as a fake degree network.
Following official directives, the Vice Chancellor of Gomal University has taken notice of long-standing irregularities involving the issuance of 514 questionable degrees.
As part of the initial action, the Additional Controller Muhammad Waseem and Director IT Riaz Ahmed have been suspended. Further disciplinary measures are also expected.
Officials said that a high-level investigation is already underway into financial mismanagement and alleged corruption at the university between 2019 and 2023. Hundreds of degrees have been marked suspicious in official records, and their cancellation has been recommended.
A new inquiry committee has also been formed to further investigate the matter and identify those responsible.
The Higher Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has tightened monitoring across public universities following the directives of Higher Education Minister Meena Khan Afridi.
Minister Meena Khan Afridi said that those involved in the Gomal University scandal will not be spared. He added that the government is committed to cleansing the higher education system of corruption and fake degree mafias.
Also Read, HEC releases list of fake universities and programs
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken a major step to protect students from fraud by private educational institutions, releasing lists of fake universities, unregistered campuses, and illegal degree programs. The lists have also been published on the official HEC website for public access.
According to the commission, 94 institutes and university campuses in Punjab have been declared fake or unregistered. In Sindh, 35 campuses have been identified as illegal, while four campuses in Azad Kashmir have also been labelled fake.
