ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate has been informed that a total of 154 fake degree awarding institutions have been closed down by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) since its establishment in 2002.
In a written reply submitted in the House, the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood Shafqat Mahmood said that 102 fake degree awarding institutions have been closed down by the HEC in Punjab, 36 in Sindh, 11 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in the Federal Capital and three in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Province-wise summary of closure of such institutions is as under:
The minister said that HEC has been working in close cooperation with all the provincial governments in order to check mushrooming growth of fake/illegal degree awarding institutions.
Shafqat Mahmood said that regular periodical public alerts are also published in the electronic and print media cautioning parents, students and the general public not to seek admission in such unlawful universities/institutions as qualifications obtained from them would not be recognized/ validated.
The minister said that a list of illegal/fake universities/institutions has also been forwarded to provincial governments to ensure that these institutions are unable to start their operations again, and in such case provincial governments may take necessary action against the universities/institutions.
List of fake degree awarding institutions closed by HEC since 2002:
