The Sindh Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed that the academic credentials of all staff at public-sector universities across Sindh be verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) within the next three months.
This decision comes in the wake of revelations that 10 employees at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) were hired on the basis of forged academic degrees. According to audit officials, DUHS reportedly spends roughly Rs 2.33 billion annually on salaries, yet its hiring process had failed to properly verify credentials before recruitment.
During a PAC meeting chaired by Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the committee reviewed audit reports for DUHS covering 2022–2025, and concluded that systemic lapses in verification created a risk of mis-hiring across the higher education sector. The PAC directed that all public universities in Sindh submit verification reports to the committee once checks are complete.
In response, officials from several universities said they had already begun degree-verification exercises and terminated employment of staff whose credentials were found to be fake. At DUHS, employment for the 10 identified individuals has been terminated, and show-cause notices have been issued to two more staff members under suspicion.
PAC also flagged similar concerns in municipal pension and salary disbursement systems — prompting orders to digitize payroll processes across local councils to prevent fraudulent payments.
The move aims to restore integrity in the province’s education sector, safeguard public funds, and ensure that all employed personnel meet legitimate academic qualifications.