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Ever since the fake degree scandal of Axact erupted, the BOL Media group and its CEO Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh have been under heavy scrutiny. As per reports of many international media hubs, including the BBC, Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh and his company had been selling fake university degrees worldwide.
When the fake degree case was taken up in the Islamabad High Court, a sessions judge, Pervaiz-ul-Qadir Memon acquitted Shoaib Shaikh in the case, saying that he and his company were innocent and no such scam had taken place. However, after immense scrutiny on the judge, the Islamabad High Court today dismissed him.
According to the details, Pervaiz-ul-Qadir Memon had taken Rs. 5 million (Rs. 50 lakhs) from Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh as bribe to acquit him of all charges and portray him as an innocent man. The cat, however, is out of the bag now. The case’s hearing took place in October 2016, where the BOL and Axact CEO was granted bail.
“The Chief Justice, as authority, on taking into consideration the record and personal hearing afforded to him and having found the accused officer guilty of the…charges, hereby order that major penalty of removal from service be imposed upon Pervaiz-ul Qadir Memon, ADSJ [under suspension], with immediate effect,” the IHC registrar’s notification read.
The issue initially came out after a New York Time’s report of Pakistan’s Axact group being involved in a huge fake degree scam and scandal. Popular personalities of Pakistan including Aamir Liaquat Hussain had earned their laurels from Axact’s fake degree scheme. These degrees were sold online via hundreds of different fake schools, which had legit websites.
Later on, all offices of the company were sealed and the top brass of the company, including the CEO were arrested. After FIA’s intervention, the Deputy Attorney General Raja Khalid Mehmood made sure that Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh’s acquittal be cancelled and it should also be noticed that the sessions court judge had taken Rs. 50 Lakhs as bribe from the Axact CEO.
The FIA then filed a similar appeal in the Sindh High Court. It is now very clear that the FIA has enough proof to put Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh behind bars for a long time. What would be interesting is to see whether the services of Axact and BOL shut down in the process, just as it previously was, or whether the companies would continue running if its CEO is put behind bars.
The final decision from the courts will be given on February 22, but Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh has failed to attend summons in the past, annoying the courts with the lack of seriousness he keeps showing.
