Amraiz Khan
Lahore
FIA and Higher Education Commission (HEC) have started an enquiry against COMSAT University Islamabad (CUI), on the charges of money laundering worth millions of rupees, documents available with ‘Pakistan Observer’ revealed.
HEC in its letter addressed to Deputy Director (Accreditation & Attestation) CUI has said that university management is blackmailing and forcing the students of Dual Degree Program (DDP) of Lahore campus to transfer an amount of Rs. 73 million out of country through private channels. It is a serious allegation which may lead to legal action against CUI; therefore the university is directed to furnish clarification in this regard within seven days of issuance of this letter.
FIA investigator concerned said when this scribe contacted, “Though the issue is old but now it has been converted into regular inquiry”. We have sought record from university management.
As per aggrieved students university management had made above 3000 students bound to submit 2000 Great Britain Pounds (GBP) in the account of UK based Lancaster university for the issuance of dual degree program out of whom so far only Rs. 73 million have been transferred to Lancaster. Dual Degree Program (DDP) of the CUI started in the year 2010 and by 2014 it was completed in this program at least 3000 students were enrolled Lahore high court in order has said that Lancaster university is not authorised to issue degree to the students. As per HEC higher education commission agreement between CUI and Lancaster was a private agreement which is not valid and it is null and void. Accountant general of Pakistan in its report said that Pakistan engineering council has not approved the degree program of CUI. None of the concern body including ministry of law and justice, Ministry Finance, and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) have approved the same. University management is asking students to deposit GBP 2000 in the account of Lancaster university to get even local degree. FIA found from the record of CUI that not even a single penny was deposited in national exchequer as tax collected on amount of Lancaster fee which is in millions. A complaint addressed to director FIA says, there is a list of those 213 brave DDP Graduates (Dual Degree Program) of COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus who are continuously confronting blackmailing efforts by CUI administration that is forcing them to transfer huge sum of foreign exchange (amounting over PKR 540 millions) outside of country through private channels. The money was also not being transferred through any Regulatory/governmental channel. These Graduates are suspicious of the legitimacy and lawfulness of this transaction and hence don’t want to become partners in crime. They have preferred to put their careers at stake instead of bringing disgrace to their beloved country that is working hard to get an exit from the grey list of FATF (Financial Action Task Force).It is worth mentioning that Higher Education Commission of Pakistan does not recognize Lancaster University’s degree and the honorable Division Bench of Lahore High Court has also restrained CUI and LU from issuing Lancaster’s degree and transcript.
Moreover, the ex-Rector of CIIT/CUI produced an undertaking to the HEC and PEC that he’ll never seek any approval attestation/equivalence/accreditation for the LU degree to be issued in the controversial dual degree program. These Graduates demand immediate issuance of their local degrees only.
They have already cleared all of their local/legitimate fees. A huge amount of national wealth can be safeguarded from being transferred out of the country illegally, application concluded.
Talking to daily Pakistan Observer student Mohsin said, “I am student from DDP initial batch, I completed my degree in 2014 but did not till get accredit degree. I paid high fees but got deceived. I paid an amount of Rs. 14 lac as fee of comsats and 2000 pounds”.
Another student Ali Hassan was of the view that COMSATS university offered two degrees in Dual Degree Program(DDP). We paid fee of both Comsats University and England based Lancaster University at the same time.
Lancaster degree was rejected by HEC. Now we want only COMSATS degree (not Lancaster degree). COMSATS administration is forcing us to pay Lancaster degree fee in Pounds. This Lancaster degree is fraudulent. Comsats does not collect Pounds and forces students to send Pounds to Lancaster University through private channel. This is clearly money laundering. Now we want our local degrees and refund of Pounds which we paid for fraudulent Lancaster degree.
When contacted Dr Qaiser Abbas Director, CUI Lahore Campus said that it was an old issue which has been solved, FIA has sought no record from us. He said, “I am out of city in connection with a marriage of one of my relatives and only after coming back to Lahore I will be in position to talk over the issue at length”.
