DG NADRA Fired for Having Fake Educational Degrees

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has dismissed its Director General (DG), Zulfiqar Ahmed, after his academic qualifications were confirmed to be fraudulent, Hum News has reported.

The issue came to light in 2023 when NADRA’s newly appointed chairman ordered a comprehensive review of academic credentials for all officials. Despite Ahmed having obtained equivalency certificates for his degrees from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2018, further scrutiny revealed discrepancies.

During the re-verification process, HEC reached out to the institutions listed on Ahmed’s academic records. Both institutions denied any affiliation with him. George Mason University in the United States categorically stated, “We have no student record for Zulfiqar Ahmed,” and dismissed the student number provided as invalid.

Similarly, efforts to verify Ahmed’s BBA degree from Westwood College hit a dead end, as the institution had been shut down, leaving no accessible records.

Additionally, Ahmed’s MBA degree was flagged for bearing the signature of someone who was not the university’s president at the time. Following NADRA’s request, HEC launched its own investigation and revoked Ahmed’s equivalency certificates after confirming the findings.

The Islamabad High Court upheld HEC’s decision, strengthening NADRA’s case against Ahmed. After failing to provide a satisfactory explanation to a show-cause notice, Ahmed was dismissed by NADRA’s chairman, citing the court ruling and a lack of credible evidence.