A notification purportedly issued by the University of the Punjab in Lahore is being widely shared on social media with claims that the university has barred PhD research on living personalities unless they have received a civil award from the government. Several users questioned whether the notification was authentic.
The claim is true.
Claim
On June 11, a user on X, formerly Twitter, shared a notification purportedly issued by the University of the Punjab claiming that the university had decided that no PhD research could be conducted on a living personality unless that person had been honored with a civil award by the Government of Pakistan.
“PhD research on living eminent personalities shall be conducted by the scholar of the University of the Punjab only for those who were conferred/bestowed with civil awards by the Government,” the notification, dated June 8, stated.
At the time of writing, the post had been viewed more than 10,500 times, received 276 likes, and been reshared 58 times.
Similar claims have also been shared on Facebook and Instagram.
Fact
The notification is authentic.
Under a new policy adopted by the University of the Punjab, PhD scholars may conduct research on living personalities only if those individuals have received a civil award. Such research also requires prior approval from the university’s Advanced Studies and Research Board (ASRB).
Khurram Shahzad, the university’s public relations officer, confirmed the authenticity of the notification in a telephone conversation with Geo Fact Check.
“This notification is true,” Shahzad said. “You can conduct research on living individuals, but there should be some criteria.” He emphasized that the criteria was only for “living” personalities, not those who have passed away.
He added that even when a scholar wishes to conduct research on a person who has received a civil award, approval from the relevant university body remains mandatory.
According to Shahzad, such approvals were previously granted by departmental boards. Under the revised policy, however, applications are reviewed by the Advanced Studies and Research Board.
He further clarified that the board oversees only PhD-level research and does not regulate BS or MPhil research projects. Research on living personalities may still be conducted at the BS level, subject to departmental requirements.
Verdict: The notification circulating online is genuine. The University of the Punjab has adopted a policy restricting PhD research on living personalities to civil award recipients, subject to university approval.
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2026-06-15 15:22:00
