The Sindh Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has launched a major crackdown on fraudulent academic credentials in the province's public sector universities. In a decisive move, the committee has ordered the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to verify the degrees of all employees working in these institutions within a strict three-month deadline.
Crackdown Triggered by DUHS Scandal
The directive was issued on Wednesday after a shocking revelation emerged during a PAC meeting. The committee, chaired by Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, was examining audit paragraphs for the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) from 2022 to 2025. Audit officials disclosed that the university, which spends a staggering Rs 2.33 billion annually on employee salaries, had hired staff over various periods without properly checking their academic qualifications.
DUHS Vice Chancellor Dr. Nazli Hussain informed the committee that the university has a total of 3,500 employees, with 2,500 of them working on contract. She confirmed that a verification process is already underway and has so far uncovered that 10 employees were hired using fake degrees, leading to their immediate termination. Furthermore, final show-cause notices have been issued to two additional employees found with fraudulent credentials.
Broader Financial Irregularities Uncovered
The PAC's scrutiny extended beyond universities, uncovering significant financial management issues in local government bodies as well. During an audit of the Larkana Municipal Corporation, officers raised serious objections regarding pension disbursements. They found that pensions were being paid to retired employees without the mandatory submission of life and no-marriage certificates.
The municipal commissioner stated that while the corporation has 1,150 active employees and 150 pensioners, only 34 pensioners had submitted the required certificates to the audit team. PAC member Taha Ahmed pointed out that this absence of documentation from the majority of pensioners strongly suggests that pension payments may be fraudulent.
Digital Shift to Curb Fake Payments
Addressing the systemic vulnerability to fraud, Chairman Khuhro questioned why the SAP-based digital system successfully used by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was not being implemented across all local councils in Sindh. This system is designed to prevent the disbursement of fake salaries and pensions.
In response, the additional secretary of the local government department provided a timeline, stating that by February or March 2026, the salaries and pensions of employees in local councils across Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad will be shifted online under the SAP system. Taking a proactive stance, the PAC directed that, as an immediate first step, the salaries and pensions of all municipal corporation employees across Sindh must be moved online through the SAP digital system to prevent fake payments.
This sweeping action by the PAC highlights a growing commitment to transparency and accountability in Sindh's public institutions, aiming to plug financial leaks and ensure that positions of public trust are held by genuinely qualified individuals.
