News Analysis |
Higher Education Commission (HEC) has declared around 70 scholarship awardees as defaulters for violating the terms of PhD scholarship. The HEC website lists 70 such awardees as defaulters under the Phase-II of the PhD scholarship program, which is now put on hold, of which 57 are male awardees while 13 are females. Each defaulter’s name and photograph, with specific charges, is available on HEC website for public information.
They were awarded a scholarship under the project titled ‘Overseas Scholarship for MS/MPhil Leading to PhD in selected field Phase-II”. After completion of PhD degree, they either started jobs or got admission in postdoc without HEC approval; as per HEC rules these scholars after completing their studies abroad, have to come back and serve in Pakistan for a period of 5 years which they and their guarantors agreed before the start of scholarship.
The Sargodha University officials were arrested after former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar directed the bureau to complete its inquiry into the affairs of the university’s sub-campuses within one week.
According to the HEC, their scholarships have been cancelled by the competent authority and they have to refund the amount to Government of Pakistan; hence legal proceedings have been started regarding recovery through the court of law.
Those declared defaulters by the HEC include the son of the former vice-chancellor of University of Sargodha (UoS), who is himself in jail while facing a corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Dr. Safwan Akram, son of Dr. Akram Chaudhary, completed his PhD but did not return to Pakistan. He was thus declared as a defaulter by the HEC for violating the terms of Ph.D. scholarship at Cambridge University, UK.
Read more: Sargodha University illegal campuses: AC sends suspects to Jail
Former UoS VC Dr. Akram Chaudhary is in jail while facing a reference by NAB on various charges of abuse of authority, unlawful appointments, and corruption in the civil works. Now, his son has been declared defaulter, whose guarantor was also his father, which could further add to his miseries.
It is pertinent to mention here that NAB on October 8 arrested the top former management of the Sargodha University, including its former vice-chancellor Dr. Muhammad Akram Chaudhary, registrar, chief executive officer (CEO) and director administration of both Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin sub-campuses over their alleged involvement in the establishment of illegal private campuses.
Since his arrest in October 2018, Dr. Akram Chaudhary had sought bail from Lahore’s NAB court and Lahore High Court, but to no avail. His bail application is pending before the Supreme Court.
Read more: PhD Transfer Programs: HEC greets US delegation
The Sargodha University officials were arrested after former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar directed the bureau to complete its inquiry into the affairs of the university’s sub-campuses within one week.