Islamabad [Pakistan], July 17 (ANI): The Federal Investigation Agency has told Pakistan Supreme Court that 3997 students belonging to affiliated law colleges of Multan’s Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) are suspected to be “non-genuine.” People who tried to appear for the LLB exam without even attending classes, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.
In a report presented to the apex court, the FIA said that its joint investigation team (JIT) along with Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) officials and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) questioned the relevant BZU officials and owners of law colleges on order of the top court.
The FIA said that the team examined the BZU record and found that 3,997 students were suspected to be non-genuine. It further said that 2,230 remaining students were also under investigation but so far nothing adverse had come out against them, according to The Express Tribune report.
It said, “The JIT recommends [registering] a case against the delinquent BZU officials and law colleges as submitted before [the SC] at the previous hearing dated May 4, 2023.”
It further said, “It recommends that the system of affiliation of law colleges, registration of students, deposition of fee and attendance of students should be improved as a safeguard [against] any further fraud and scam.”
According to the report, the initial inquiry has revealed that the BZU registration branch shared data of 11,396 students with the Controller Examination for LLB Part-I second annual exam of 2019.
Out of them, 6,227 students were permitted to appear in the exam while 5,169 students were stopped by the controller examination from appearing in the exams due to different reasons, according to The Express Tribune report.
The report said, “Those 5,169 students who were barred from appearing in LLB. Part-I Second Annual 2019 exams were found to be non-genuine by the Controller Examination of the BZU. The JIT also found these students deficient and lacking in different aspects.”
It said that this scam was being conducted with the assistance of the BZU registration branch. It further said later the list of 5,169 students was divided into various categories according to irregularities, The Express Tribune reported.
The report said according to the Supreme Court’s order on May 4, the JIT visited a few law colleges, interviewed students and the BZU administration along with a new affiliation committee and gathered records from the BZU for identification of fake/ghost law colleges.
The JIT found that the BZU’s current affiliation committee carried out surprise visits to the law colleges in September 2022 and made a report on the deficiencies of these colleges, the report said.
The JIT said, “On the basis of the report, the previous record of affiliation and other evidence, 26 law colleges were found to be ghost law colleges and all of their remaining students seem to be non-genuine.”
In its previous report presented to the court on May 4, FIA said that it has already submitted the fee vouchers given by Muhammadan Law College, Multan and Pakistan Law College, Pakpattan were fake, bearing fake and fabricated stamps of banks, according to The Express Tribune report.
It said, “The probe committee of the BZU verified from the concerned bank and found fake vouchers valuing Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 3,000,000/- pertaining to Muhammadan Law College, Multan and of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1,200,000/- of Pakistan Law College Pakpattan.”
After the court’s direction on May 4, the JIT gathered fee receipts of all law colleges deposited to the BZU for registration and examination purposes. The JIT also gave an MS Excel Sheet to the registration branch for getting a money trail of the cash received from each student.
In a written notice, the JIT asked all law colleges to submit fee vouchers of all their students under inquiry and provide a copy of the MS Excel Sheet. Only nine law colleges have given data to the JIT, the report said.
According to the report, the JIT examined the details of 6,227 students according to the criteria of admission and eligibility for appearing in exams for determining their bona fide. It also checked the attendance record of the students.
“The principals of colleges submitted certificates of 75 per cent attendance with the BZU. However, it [was found] that there are students who are government servants and many of them are posted and residing in other districts. It is not possible for them to attend law college,” it said.
It said that the respective colleges gave attendance sheets to the university which appear to be “fabricated.” It further said that the colleges have not made arrangements for biometric attendance, The Express Tribune reported.
It said prima facie all colleges made fake attendance sheets. 645 candidates were found to be employees of the Punjab government who were posted in different districts of Punjab province, the report said. Furthermore, 93 candidates were found to be employees of the Pakistan federal government.
It stressed that it is not possible for the 738 candidates working in government departments to attend the classes regularly due to their posting in far-flung regions, the report said. It said, “Among 738 candidates, not a single candidate provided study leave to this agency. However, a negligible number of students provided departmental NOC [no-objection certificate].” (ANI)
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