Dow University finds 27 employees with fake degree

Dow University finds 27 employees with fake degree

An audit of Dow University of Health Sciences has revealed that 27 employees held fake degrees, prompting the Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to order the recovery of salaries paid to them.

The committee, chaired by Nisar Khuhro, issued the directive on Tuesday while reviewing audit objections concerning the university for 2024 and 2025. It also asked all public universities in Sindh to submit reports on the verification of academic credentials held by their teaching and non-teaching staff.

During the meeting, officials informed the committee that the university had 5,350 employees, but authorities had verified the degrees of only 1,945, leaving more than 3,400 cases pending.

Dow University Director Finance Zainul Abideen Shah told the PAC that the institution had hired HRSG to conduct the verification process under a contract worth Rs7.36 million. The exercise identified 27 employees with fake qualifications.

The employees held various positions, including receptionists, clerks, computer operators, administrative officers, billing staff, technicians and nursing personnel. Their allegedly fraudulent credentials included BCom, BA, BSc and MCom degrees, matriculation certificates, nursing diplomas and a master’s degree in computer science.

Shah said the university had dismissed all 27 employees after discovering the fake credentials. Vice Chancellor Dr Nazli Hussain informed the committee that officials had verified more than 70 per cent of the degrees held by academic doctors, while the remaining cases were still under review.

Khuhro directed the university to recover the full amount of salaries paid to the dismissed employees and called for comprehensive verification reports from all public universities in the province.

The committee also reviewed the university’s financial position and questioned officials about its annual budget and revenue sources.

Shah told the PAC that Dow University had an annual budget of Rs26 billion and generated approximately Rs25 billion annually through academic services, radiology, laboratory services and other sources. Student fees contributed a further Rs4.5 billion in annual revenue, he added.