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JORDANIAN UNABLE TO GET DEGREE EVEN AFTER 16 YEARS

The 9/11 incident affected many lives world over, but for Jordanian national Mohammed J., it has posed a unique problem. For him, acquiring an original engineering degree he earned 16 years ...

ago from a Pakistani university, has become virtually impossible, unless and until, he visits the country himself again.

Even after 16 years since he graduated, Mohammed J. has not been able to acquire his original engineering degree from Pakistan’s University of Engineering and Technology (UET), because all authorised letters on his behalf have been rejected by the university authorities.

Authorisation letters signed and stamped by the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai have been rejected by the controller of the university, saying that after 9/11, degrees from the university, for foreigners, were handed over only to the concerned person. Mohammed says that the controller of the university told him that if the issue concerned a Pakistani national who was staying abroad, then there was no problem in handing over the degree to an authorised person. "All this means is that I have to travel especially to the country and spend a lot of money to obtain a degree that is rightfully mine," he says.

In 1989, Mohammed obtained a degree in engineering from the UET in Lahore, but because original degrees are handed over after a few years, he returned to his homeland. In the meantime, he did not pursue the degree for quite some time after his graduation, but when he decided to procure it, the rules had already changed as 9/11 happened. "I have been trying to obtain the degree for a long time now, through a Pakistani friend I know," he told City Times.

Earlier, Mohammed’s Pakistani friend was told to bring an original authorisation letter and passport copy attested by the mission in the UAE, but even after all the requirements were met, the application was rejected. "I am perplexed, and am looking for a solution that does not require me to travel to Pakistan," says Mohammed.

The Pakistan Consulate in Dubai, though not directly involved in such issues, has promised all kind of support. Pakistani Consul-General to the UAE, Ch. Abdul Hamid said: "The consulate cannot do anything on this issue, because universities in Pakistan require the original degree recipient to be present to receive the degree."

But Ch. Hamid said that the consulate ensures that the degree reaches the right person, if it was sent to the mission by the university. "If the university sends the degree through the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then we can ensure and confirm that the degree will reach the right person," he says. He also said that there was no problem in getting a visa to Pakistan, in case Mohammed needed to travel.