KARACHI: The university of Karachi (KU) will not act on the Higher Education Commission (HEC) report on plagiarism against the vice chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (Fuuast) and will hold its own inquiry into the case, it emerged on Thursday.

Speaking to Dawn, KU Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammed Qaiser said that the university had sought a reply from Prof Sulaiman D.

Mohammed, the incumbent vice chancellor of the Urdu university, on the HEC report, showing plagiarised content in his PhD thesis.

The HEC report with a covering letter sought action from the KU which awarded the PhD degree to Prof Sulaiman in economics in 2010.

`Once reply from Prof Sulaiman on the HEC report is received, the university will investigate the matter under its own rules and regulations, said KU Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Qaiser, adding that the case would be probed by the KU committee on plagiarism.

The committee, he pointed out, would look into the findings of the HEC, Prof Sulaiman`s reply as well as the content of the PhD thesis.

`The committee`s findings will bepresented in the syndicate that would also have a nominee of the HEC,` he explained, adding that Prof Sulaiman had been asked to reply as soon as possible.

Replying to a question as to how the Board of Advanced Studies and Research of the KU allowed foreign experts on Islamic studies to evaluate a PhD thesis on economics and submit it in Urdu, he said: `I was also shocked to know that but that didn`t happen in my tenure. Principally, we don`t allow candidates to submit thesis in Urdu.

The university would take action against Prof Sulaiman if allegations were found true, he said.

About the HEC`s declaration that Prof Sulaiman had committed plagiarism in most of his research papers, he replied that the HEC had sought action from the KU only on the matter ofhis doctoralthesis.

He contended that Prof Sulaiman was earlier cleared of plagiarism charges against his research papers by a committee when he headed the Urdu university as vice chancellor.

`The body formed on the HEC`s letter (dated July 5, 2012) asking for an inquiry on an anonymous complaint found no evidence of plagiarism in his research papers,` Prof Qaiser said.

The committee included an HEC nominee, among other members, hepointed out.

It is noteworthy that Prof Sulaiman`s case caught media attention when the HEC disclosed to the public accounts committee (PAC) last month that its relevant body had found Fauust vice chancellor`s PhD thesis plagiarised and a letter had been written to the KU to revol(e the PhD degree awarded to him.

During the hearing, PAC Chairman Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah reportedly directed the ofhcials concerned to sack the vice chancellor for copying his thesis from other scholars` work and recover perks availed by him during this period of service.

`Major plagiarism in PhD thesis and most papers has been established. The Karachi University shall be approached for de-recognition of the PhD thesis,` says a Sept 19 HEC letter to the KU, citing a decision of its standing committee on plagiarism.

According to the HEC report, total pages ofthe thesis (an analysis of the economic impact of distribution of wealth under Islamic principles) are 383, reference pages 58, words per page 325, words in total thesis 105,625, pages copied 55, words in copied pages 17,875 and similarity index 16.92307692.

This report was forwarded to Prof Sulaiman on Sept 26 for his comments.