A routine physical verification at NED University of Engineering and Technology has raised questions over the whereabouts of expensive equipment assigned to its Food Engineering Department in Karachi.
The audit found that four major machines, collectively valued at about Rs. 5.71 crore, could not be located during the verification process. The equipment includes a hydrogenation unit, a deodorising unit, an oil production plant and an FTIR spectrometer.
Among them, the hydrogenation unit carries the highest reported value at approximately Rs. 2.18 crore, making the disappearance of the equipment a significant concern for the university’s asset management system.
The audit did not only identify missing machinery. It also found inconsistencies in stock and dead-stock records, including differences in the quantities of chemicals entered in official records.
The university administration responded by carrying out another check of the machinery after the audit raised objections. Registrar Dr Ghazanfar said the equipment had been rechecked.
However, the audit findings did not identify an individual responsible for the missing machines or provide a clear account of where the equipment had gone. This leaves questions about how the assets were monitored and recorded before the verification.
NED University maintains an internal audit system that includes physical verification of stores and account records. The Food Engineering Department is part of the university’s Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering.
The findings could prompt further scrutiny of inventory controls and procedures for safeguarding high-value laboratory equipment.
The case also highlights the importance of maintaining accurate records for university assets, particularly specialised machinery used for teaching, laboratory work and research.
Further clarification and investigation will be required to establish what happened to the missing equipment and whether any administrative or procedural failures contributed to the situation.
