PAC orders SHEC to inquire into KU’s MPhil, PhD programmes

The University of Karachi’s Department of Health, Physical Education & Sports Sciences is running MPhil and PhD programmes in physical education & sports sciences and physical therapy, which contradict the regulations and directives set by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Following a complaint filed by Advocate Waqas Ahmed, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh has directed the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) secretary to initiate an inquiry into the matter and submit a report within two weeks.

The department’s chairman, who has a PhD in physiology, is running both programmes under the physiology faculty. He is running the physical therapy degree programmes with an associate professor of the Department of Physiology and an assistant professor, both of whom have a PhD in physiology.

The chairman is also running the physical education & sports sciences degree programmes with a professor who has a PhD in chemical biochemistry, a professor who has a PhD in psychology, and another professor who has a PhD in pharmaceuticals.

According to the documentary evidence available with The News, the department’s chairman also has a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy (BSPT) from an unaccredited institution that does not exist anymore.

HEC Media Director Tariq Iqbal said the commission issued the KU with no-objection certificates (NOCs) to launch MPhil and PhD programmes in physical therapy and physical education & sports sciences based on the NOC dossier provided by the university.

Iqbal said that to launch an MPhil programme, a university needs to have a minimum of two faculty members in the relevant discipline, and for a PhD programme, three faculty members in the relevant discipline, along with other requirements. He said KU met these requirements, so the NOCs were issued.

The department’s chairman said he also has a PhD from the KU in health & physical education. He promised to share a copy of the degree but did not do so until the filing of this story. Regarding his BSPT degree, he said he got it in 1999 from the Greenwich University, and that programme was closed after one batch. Then he got a degree equivalency from the KU. All public universities can issue equivalencies for other universities, he added.

According to the HEC’s regulations, the KU is ineligible to run MPhil and PhD programmes in physiotherapy because of a lack of full-time faculty members with a PhD in physiotherapy. Official HEC guidelines for issuing NOCs for MPhil programmes stipulate that a university must have at least two full-time faculty members with expertise in the relevant field, and for PhD programmes, a minimum of three full-time faculty members in the same discipline, all of whom should have a PhD.

HEC regulations also make it clear that each programme must be led by a principal or department head with a PhD in the relevant field to ensure academic quality and credibility of the programme.

Senior educationist Prof Yaqoob Ahmed said all three faculty members are unqualified in the field of physiotherapy, raising concerns about their ability to adequately supervise and teach in these programmes.

Prof Ahmed said physiology and physiotherapy are two distinct fields, explaining that physiology is the branch of biology that focuses on understanding how the body and its parts work. He said it studies the functions of organs, tissues, cells and molecules in the human body. Physiology explains the mechanisms behind various biological processes such as respiration, circulation and digestion, he added.

On the other hand, he continued, physiotherapy is a healthcare profession aimed at treating and managing physical impairments, disabilities and pain through physical techniques like exercise, manual therapy and modalities (heat, cold, ultrasound).

He said physiotherapists focus on improving mobility, strength and function to help patients recover from injuries, surgeries or chronic conditions. In short, he added, physiology is about the science of body functions, while physiotherapy is a treatment approach for physical health and recovery.

Physical education and sports sciences play a role in the development and care of the body, providing training in hygiene, gymnastics, and the performance and management of athletic games, he concluded.

While talking to The News, a spokesman for Karachi University, Zeeshan Azmat, said both the MPhil and PhD programmes are being run in accordance with the law and the HEC regulations. He said the university’s academic council approved the programmes after verifying all the relevant laws, adding that the HEC issued NOCs to the KU for both programmes after scrutiny. Replying to a question, Ahmad said that according to law, any public sector university can issue an equivalence certificate for another university.

KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, Registrar Prof Dr Abdul Waheed and Controller of Examinations Dr Syed Zafar Hussain remained unreachable for comment despite being contacted on their official and mobile numbers. They were also sent detailed messages on their WhatsApp numbers, as well as a detailed questionnaire by courier, but they did not respond until the filing of this story.