LAHORE – An Indian professor has plagiarized the research paper of a Punjab University’s assistant professor, it was reliably learnt here on Saturday. Professor Emeritus Dr. SK Awasthi’s book “Terrorism as War,” published in 2009 by New Delhi-based publisher MD Publications Pvt Ltd, has in its Chapter # 3, titled “War for Terrorism” is verbatim plagiarization from Rana Eijaz’ research paper titled “War against Terrorism.”

It may be mentioned here that Rana Eijaz Ahmad is an assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab Lahore. He teaches in one of the optional courses Terrorism and Counter Terrorism in the department. He wrote a research paper titled ‘War against Terrorism or War for Terrorism’ in 2007, published in the Journal of Political Studies, issue XI Summer 2007, pages 21-29.

Rana Eijaz while talking to this scribe told that he was shocked when he saw the book and found it plagiarized from his research work. “The paper is copied by Dr. Awasthi word by word. When I saw the book, I immediately reported to the Chairperson of the department. I also gave information to the PU Dean faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences and PU Vice-Chancellor. I also reported the stolen work to the Quality Assurance Department of Higher Education Commission Pakistan as well,” said Rana Eijaz. My research paper published in Journal of Political Studies available also at the link http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/pols/Currentissue-pdf/RANA%20EIJAZ.pdf.

He told that he contacted to the publisher of the plagiarized book about the intellectual theft and the publisher immediately acknowledged the immoral act of the Indian author and tendered unconditional apology. “The publisher vehemently assured me in black and white that the MD Publications Pvt. Ltd. has immediately stopped the printing, reprinting and direct distribution of the said copy of the book,” he said. “The publisher assured me that they had called back all the copies from the agents, associates and distributors and would destroy them. All the copies of the book are in our control, possession and custody will be destroyed within a week,” he added.

Rana Eijaz Ahmad said that Dr. S.K. Awasthi called Pakistan a terrorist state in the second chapter of the plagiarized book without any empirical evidence so he (Rana Eijaz) decided to take legal action against the author and the publisher under international intellectual property law. He said he had contacted his law and they were consulting to move to the Indian court against the author. He said he would claim damages.