Peshawar University VC found involved in plagiarism

University of Peshawar Vice Chancellor Dr Azmat Hayat Khan has been found involved in plagiarism by the three-member committee of Higher Education Commission (HEC) that was constituted to probe into the matter.

According to sources, HEC has submitted its report to Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) who is also the Chancellor of the University in which it has been clearly stated that the VC has been involved in plagiarism.

According to the information, Dr Khan, a former director of the Area Study Centre has been accused by a university teacher Muhammad Zubair, of including in his book titled ‘The Durand Land: Its Geo Strategic Importance’, published in 2000 by Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar, and Hanns Seidel Foundation, some passages from the book ‘Pak-Afghan Relations’, written by Dr Kulwant Kaur of Jammu University, Jammu, and published by Deep and Deep publications in 1985.

As per plagiarism policy, vice chancellors are responsible to constitute the plagiarism standing committee and committee will report to him but in this case the complaint is against the VC himself.

Muhammad Zubair has also approached Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) and in his appeal dated May 3, 2011 in which he said that HEC policy on plagiarism, if made applicable to charges of plagiarism against the sitting VC, is fundamentally flawed and illegal as it authorises the VC to investigate the charges of plagiarism and constitute the Plagiarism Standing Committee of the University for that matter. The policy makes the VC a judge in his own cause and that if the VC takes no action in pursuance of the HEC’s direction, nothing could be done by the HEC till the expiry of 90 days.

Finding itself toothless in the said situation, HEC asked the Governor KPK to intervene and conduct an independent, impartial and unbiased enquiry against the incumbent VC, being fully in charge of the university.

However, the Governor wrote letter to HEC and authorised it to constitute a committee to probe into the matter. “Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, the Governor/chancellor has been pleased to desire that the HEC may constitute a committee under its own supervision and furnish findings/ recommendations for the perusal of the honourable Governor KPK,” The letter said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Challenging the jurisdiction and authority of Higher Education Commission (HEC) in dealing with the cases of plagiarism, University of Peshawar Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Azmat Hayat Khan has filed a writ petition in Peshawar High Court in which he has asked the apex court to refrain the commission from taking any action on the grounds of alleged plagiarism against him.

According to the copy of petition available to this scribe, the petitioner claimed that HEC cannot assume unto it jurisdiction to entertain and adjudicate upon any alleged act of plagiarism hence the very initiation of proceedings to this effect would have no backing from law laid down on the subject hence liable to interference by this august court in exercise of constitutional jurisdiction.

Talking to ‘The News’, HEC Chairperson Dr Javaid Laghari confirmed that the report of the inquiry committee has been submitted to KPK, however, he has refused to make any comment on the findings of the report.

On the other hand, the complainant Mohammad Zubair believes that some political leaders of ANP were trying to cover VC by stopping the Governor to take any action against him. “What is the point for not taking any action against the VC when the findings have been submitted to the Governor,” he said.