Pakistan PM\’s son\’s graduation to be probed

Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

ISLAMABAD - The graduation degree of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani\’s son is being probed after he took the examination from a centre that was not allotted by the Punjab University, a media report said Thursday.

The university\’s Unfair Means Committee is yet to verify whether Abdul Qadir Gilani holds a genuine degree, The News reported quoting university sources.

According to sources, the younger Gilani was issued a graduation degree but it was later discovered by the university authorities that his case was among those over a dozen students who had taken their examination in 2005 at a centre that was never allotted to them.

The answer sheets of these students were received with the paper lot belonging to some other examination hall. The Unfair Means Committee of the university issued notices to these students but, the sources said, Gilani never appeared before the committee.

The premier\’s son denied having done anything wrong. He also categorically denied having received any notice from the Unfair Means Committee and insisted that the degree issued to him was genuine.

While the Committee was probing the case, the university issued the degree to Gilani, the sources said. However, usually, in such cases, it is said that the degree is never issued till the time the student appears before the Committee and satisfies it that no wrongdoing has been done.

A senior university official said the university has to consult its legal team to contemplate if such a degree can be re-looked into and ultimately cancelled after five years.

Change in examination halls is decided by the university management on the recommendation of the Unfair Means Committee, the official said, adding that \”we are not in a position to prematurely give any ruling about the status of the degree\”.