The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has terminated the services of Director General (DG) Zulfiqar Ahmed after it was revealed that he possessed a fake degree.

According to a report by a private media channel, NADRA Chairman Lt. Gen. Muhammad Munir Afsar issued the dismissal order, which stated that Zulfiqar Ahmed had initially claimed to hold an MBA from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA, and a BBA from Westwood College, Virginia, USA.

Investigations by NADRA uncovered serious discrepancies in his credentials.

Although Ahmed had obtained an interim equivalency letter from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2018, it was later discovered that he had received the letter through misrepresentation and dishonesty.

The order revealed that his BBA degree from Westwood College was a forgery, with a degree dated 1987 that could not possibly have been issued, as the institution was only renamed Westwood College in 1997.

Additionally, further discrepancies were found in his academic transcript, where his calculated GPA did not align with his final grades, pointing to further fabrications.

Zulfiqar Ahmed had also filed a constitutional petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to challenge the disciplinary action and the withdrawal of his equivalency certificate, but the court dismissed the petition, upholding NADRA’s investigation as valid.

Following a thorough review, NADRA Chairman concluded that the allegations against Zulfiqar Ahmed had been proven, and a penalty of dismissal from service was imposed.

The order also noted that Zulfiqar Ahmed has the right to file an appeal within 30 days.

Source: Dawn News