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In the last three years, corruption suspicions in the Sindh School Education Department prompted investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the FIA's anti-corruption wing. Issues include overpriced biometric machines, questionable contracts, and undisclosed transactions. A two-member inquiry board is looking into complaints from professors. Cases of corruption in the college education department, including funds for activities like digital libraries and teacher training, remain unresolved.

Fake Degrees and Fraudulent Credentials in Higher Education brings together contributions from authors in different fields and parts of the world, offering an overview of various aspects of academic fraud and highlighting the erosion of trust in academia and academics that systematically accompanies such cases. In the first chapter of the book on contract cheating and paper mills, we learn that the worldwide fake degree industry has grown from US$1 billion in 2015 to US$22 billion in 2022. Experts estimate that 4.7 billion people hold or have held fake diplomas.

The deteriorating situation in South Waziristan’s education system demands urgent measures. A teacher from the Servaki division revealed that funds allocated for the construction of washrooms and play areas have vanished, benefiting only the office administration and school owners. Moreover, it has become a trend for school owners to extort money from teachers, often amounting to 1000 to 12000 rupees per teacher per month. Teachers who refuse to comply with such demands are subjected to false reports filed against them, resulting in inquiries initiated by the District Education Office.

An official of the Basic Education Community Schools from South Punjab was caught selling around 3,500 textbooks. He also blackmailed teachers in Pakpattan and Okara into paying him between Rs1,000-Rs1,500 for the delivery of books to the education warehouse. Reports state teachers complained several times to relevant education authorities but received no response.

Government schools in the Manghopir area of Karachi are in dilapidated condition. School buildings are deprived of water, electricity, and other basic amenities. In the Government Boys Primary School Haji Mehmood Goth in Sarmastani Mohalla there is only one teacher for 137 children. Despite the biometric system, the rest of the teachers have been receiving their salaries at home for the last two years.

The Accountability Court Hyderabad gave five years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 30 million to four officers from the education department. They have recruited 208 candidates in violation of the procedure and direction of the department and without checking the qualification certificates from relevant boards. According to the National Accountability Bureau, they had inflicted a loss of Rs 127.48 million on the public treasury for wages paid to these employees.

To fill the gap between demand and constant increasing supply, many players in the higher education sector live by the saying that ‘fake it if you cannot make it’. South of Punjab has been hit by fake education. In Alipur, a branch of a known college chain claimed to be affiliated with GC University, Faisalabad. Many students paid fees to get registered, however, the university website doesn’t recognize it as an affiliated college. The robbed students moved administration and made complaints. But the institutions are supported by the feudal lords in the area.

Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment has found corruption and misuse of authority in Sindh Education Department district Jacobabad involving illegal inducting of hundreds of fake teachers, getting illegal financial benefits in the name of fake employees’ retirement, pension and death claims from department and life insurance company. The investigation continues after the fraud of millions of rupees has been reported, as well as the illegal role and abuse of authority from officers of the Education and Finance Departments.

16 pilots and 65 crew members of the national airline have been suspended by the Pakistan authorities for possessing fake degrees. On 29 December, a chairman of the Senate Committee, strongly opposed the pilots and cabin crew’s dismissal and suggested that the salaries of the culprits be reduced instead of firing them. The issue of who is responsible has become politicized. It seems that many pilots and cabin crews with fake academic degrees obtained their degrees through political connections. The fake degrees issue has been in the limelight in the country since 2010, as many parliamentarians faked their academic qualifications to be eligible to contest elections when a new rule made it compulsory for candidates to possess a bachelor degree.