The Ombudsman has said it is a right of the public to know how people obtained certificates/degrees by using illegitimate means directed universities and the educational boards to expose those involved in serious cases of fraud/impersonation by issuing a press release about their disqualification/cancellation of result.
The Ombudsman also observed that such persons should be exposed to deter others from committing frauds/criminal acts in the examinations. The Ombudsman, however, directed all the Universities and the educational boards not to conclude ex-parte proceedings without giving opportunity of defence to an accused through a notice in the press in case of vague address or non-receipt of response to its notices.
The Ombudsman passed these directions in a complaint filed by one Nasir Ali who approached him with a complaint stating that as his intermediate examination 2001 had gone missing, he applied to Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Lahore for issuance of a duplicate certificate. Board instead of entertaining his request, informed him that his result had been quashed several years ago on charge of use of unfair means.
He prayed to the ombudsman to direct the board to issue him a duplicate certificate. The board informed the Ombudsman that complainant had exchanged blank answer books with a candidate Ali Asadullah Baig and thus passed the examination through use of unfair means/exchange of papers.