ISLAMABAD: Despite the passage of almost a year, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) could not conclude the matter regarding “objectionable degrees” awarded by Al-Khair University, putting future of thousands of students in jeopardy due to alleged planned delay by the commission. According documents available with Daily Times, in 2006 the commission’s Degree Attestation and Accreditation wing barred the Al-Khair University of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJ&K) from taking fresh admission in any discipline for fall 2016. The commission also barred all other campuses of the varsity and its affiliated colleges from taking fresh admissions. The HEC said that the embargo was imposed over some serious mismanagement found at the university. After restriction, the HEC through a letter number 16(08)/A&A/Acc/HEC/2014/433, directed the management of Al-Khair University to provide complete details of students who had been enrolled with the university from 1994 to December 2015. In compliance, the university furnished the commission complete detail of degrees awarded during the said period. The available information suggests that Al-Khair University’s senior management submitted the details of 78,000 degrees that were awarded by the university in different sessions before fall 2016. Later, the HEC constituted a committee headed by its Executive Director (ED) Dr Arshad Ali to probe into the matter. Some senior officials, including from Attestation and Accreditation wing of the commission were also made part of the probe committee. Sources in the HEC said that during the course of investigation, the committee found similarity in registration numbers of hundreds of degrees awarded in different disciplines. After which, sources added, the commission informed the management of Al-Khair University of the resemblance in registration numbers of the degrees awarded. Subsequently, the Al-Khair University said that the number of degrees awarded stood at 7,589 instead of 78,000. An official at the university said that earlier figures were quoted wrong due to human error. The university’s management, as per documents, explained that a total of 7,589 students were enrolled in different disciplines during the same period. Of them, 2,425 students were awarded degrees by the main campus of the varsity, 14,410 were awarded degrees by affiliated colleges in AJK, and 5,500 students were awarded degrees by Islamabad campus. A HEC official, requesting anonymity, said that delay in concluding the matter had put future of thousands of students at stake. “Unnecessary delay to finalize the matter is discrimination with such students.” In a parents/students alert, the HEC had said, “Due to mismanagement in academic operations at the Al-Khair University, the HEC has halted the operations of Al-Khair University for taking further admissions. Therefore, students and their parents are advised not to take admissions in any of the branches, campuses or colleges affiliated with Al-Khair University. The degrees of enrolled students in this university after fall 2016 will not be recognised by the HEC.” Interestingly, in a letter the commission had itself appreciated the quality and performance of Al-Khair University. “It is appreciable that under your dynamic leadership the performance of the Qualify Enhancement Cell (QEC) in your university is progressing in a well-organised manner. It is hoped that through your personal involvement, with Khudija Muqaddus as its head, the Quality Enhancement Cell will continue to achieve the objectives of strengthening the internal quality assurance processes more effectively and efficiently in future, ” reads the letter. It added, “The commission assesses the progress of the QEC established in the public / private sector universities through quantitative / scorecard system. In this regard as per the latest qualitative assessment, QEC at your university is working satisfactorily till the period. ” Sources said that the issue came to the fore after differences of the varsity’s administration with some HEC’s senior officials. “Ultimately, students become victim of interest-based game,” they added. Despite repeated attempts, no senior HEC official was available to comment. Published in Daily Times, January 17th 2018.