ISLAMABAD: The Inter Board Committee of Chairman (IBCC) has failed to intercept the culprits who are looting the public on the name of degrees attestation, verification and issuance of equivalence certificates, Daily Times has learnt reliably. According to well informed sources in the IBCC, some outside culprits with the help of some corrupt officials of the board are looting the poor masses by telling them that they were the approved agents of the IBCC. They also hold the fake certificates with them under which they are authorised middlemen by the IBCC for degrees attestation and regarding matters. Established in 1972, the IBCC with some other functions has an important function — to “decide and grant equivalence to foreign qualifications with corresponding Pakistani certificates at the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) (Matriculation), Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) (Intermediate levels) and technical education as well as local certificates / diplomas with the comparable certificates awarded by the Boards. It also converts foreign grades into Pakistani marks at the SSC/HSSC levels”. In the beginning, the Board was functioning under the ministry of education. However, after the devolution of this ministry, it went under the control of the ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC). The IBCC sources revealed that the agents used to get financial benefits from the innocent citizens who desired to attest the O/A level degrees or get equivalent certificates from the authorised entity. An official of the board who wished not to be named confirmed the said practice being made by the unknown culprits, adding that the authorities concerned should trace such criminals and take serious action against them. While talking to Daily Times, the Secretary IBCC M Ramzan Achakzai also confirmed such crimes. He said that they had received such complaints from the common citizens. “In following with such complaints, the IBCC’s Karachi office with the approval of the head-office (Islamabad) has published an advertisement in the national press in which the public has been warned for keep aware from such agents who are misusing the name of IBCC and getting the financial gains”, adds Achakzai. To reply a question, the secretary said that the IBCC has a specific criteria/methodologies and procedure for degrees attestation and issuance of equivalence certificates, adding that except the board’s officials nobody knows these parameters. “Outsiders could not verify degrees or equivalence certificates as per their own as the board have a very complicated methodology for such purposes”, claimed Achakzai, he quoted the example of the printing system of the currency of the country. The secretary admitted, when asked about the possibilities of the involvement of insiders in such heinous acts. He, however, said that it was difficult to trace such dubious insiders, adding that the IBCC authorities fired some such officials in the past when the authorized persons had proved their involvements in the said criminal activities. He claimed that the IBCC had no authority to trace and punish such outside culprits. It was the purgative of the board to publish the public warning in the national press and beyond this the responsibility of intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies and other authorities concerned to intercept and punish such elements. When the scribe sought the copy of such published advertisement warning, Achakzai failed to produce. The authorities may slammer or they have no bothering to sort out this public issue. The criminal agents, claiming themselves as IBCC certified brokers, are openly offering through various means including publishing of advertisements in the press, internet websites and social media for degrees attestation. For example, http://fikarfree.com is one of many other such internet websites where offers for degrees attestations are being made openly. Very interestingly the brokers have even given their locations and contact details as well. Despite that continuation of their business is surprising as well as question mark for the authorities.