Millions lost as 12 PU faculty skip return after PhD

Lahore: Twelve faculty members of Punjab University have gone missing after receiving scholarships worth millions of rupees, without returning to join university service.

The university administration has decided to write to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other relevant authorities to recover the funds from these individuals.

According to the Punjab University spokesperson, letters will also be sent to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to block the national identity cards and passports of the absconding scholars.

In total, 56 faculty members were awarded scholarships worth millions of rupees to pursue PhDs abroad. As per the agreement, each recipient was required to serve at Punjab University for at least five years upon completion of their PhD. Failure to do so required full repayment of the scholarship amount. However, 12 of them did not return to resume duty.

The names of the absconding scholars and the outstanding amounts are as follows:

Farah Sattar (GIS Centre): Rs 7 million 

Syed Mohsin Ali (GIS Centre): Rs 14 million 

Kiran Ayesha (Institute of Administrative Sciences): Rs 10 million 

Rabia Abid (Department of MMG): Rs 9 million 

Khawaja Khurram Khurshid (IQTM): Rs 8.4 million 

Shumaila Ishaq (Hailey College of Commerce): Rs 16.1 million 

Usman Raheem (Centre for Coal Technology): Rs 7.2 million 

Salman Aziz (College of Engineering): Rs 9 million 

Muhammad Nawaz (GIS): Rs 7.2 million 

Jaweria Iqbal (PUCIT): Rs 6 million 

Seemab Ara (Administrative Sciences): Rs 10 million 

Samia Mahmood: Rs 11.6 million 

Punjab University has also officially terminated the services of all these defaulters.