ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has removed names of six academics, found guilty of plagiarism, from its list of approved PhD supervisors.

`Today, we informed their universities that these scholars are no longer HEC approved supervisors,` said Ayesha Ikram, a spokesperson for the HEC.

A PhD supervisor is responsible for guiding doctorate candidates in productive and ethical research and helping them in their professional careers.

However, there were six HEC approved supervisors who were also in the HEC`s list of plagiarist, blacklisted scholars.Interestingly, both the list of HEC`s declared blacklisted scholars and HEC approved PhD supervisors were available on HE C website until Monday.

The `scholars` whose names were on both lists include Abdul Quddus Suhalb of Islamic Studies Department at Bahauddin Zakaria University Multan, Imdad Ali Ismaili, of the Institute of Information Technology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro; Dr Sher of the Computer Science Department at International Islamic University (IIUI) Islamabad and Dr Niaz Muhammad of Islamia College University Peshawar.

According to sources, the Quality Assurance Department (QAD) had been trying to take visible action to punish plagiaristsbut their concerned universities and the HEC appeared reluctant to take adequate action.

The HEC claimed to have repeatedly contacted the universities of these blacklisted scholars to ask them to take adequate action against these blacklisted scholars according to the plagiarism policy.

When the universities failed to take action, the HEC decided to take away the benefits, travel grants,researchgrants and teaching awards from these blacklisted scholars.

An HE C official requesting anonymity said that 23 academics have been blacklisted by the HEC on charges of plagiarism.

However, all of them continue to hold positions in the universities.

These include Dr JalaluddinNoori from University of Karachi, Dr Abdul Quddus Suhaib from Bahauddin Zakaria University, Dr Abdul Sattar, Muhammad Aslam Kamboh and Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry from University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Dr Nisar, Dr Saleemur Rehman, Dr Niaz Muhammad and Dr Javed Badsha of Islamic College University, Peshawar, Dr Azhar Ali Shah and Dr Imdad Ismaili, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Dr Muhammad Sher, International Islamic Univer sit y; M. Hassan, S. Nadeem, K. Khalique and L Parveen of Government College University Faislabad, Dr Shamraz Firdous, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, Dr Muhammad Nawaz and Dr Masroor Ikram of Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences.