The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has directed all public universities in the province to verify their employees’ academic degrees through the Higher Education Commission (HEC) within three months. The order follows the discovery of 10 employees at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) who were hired on fake degrees.
During examination of DUHS’s 2021–2023 audit reports, the PAC learned that only 450 of the university’s 3,500 employees had undergone HEC verification. Audit officials warned that many contractual appointments were made without verifying academic records or background details, heightening the risk of bogus credentials.
Despite the audit department raising the issue in June last year, DUHS did not submit a formal response. The university’s management informed the committee that three verification tenders were issued but received no bids, prompting DUHS to directly engage HRSG Outsourcing Company. The firm has begun checking degrees.
DUHS Vice Chancellor Dr. Nazli Hussain said eight of the 10 employees with fake degrees have been terminated, while two others face show-cause notices. She added that from July 2021 to June 2025, DUHS hired 3,023 contractual employees, of whom 54 have been regularised.
