ISLAMABAD - In a latest development, higher governmental authorities have directed the establishment division to verify degrees of employees of federal government falling in category of BPS 17 and above. Establishment Division is asked to verify degrees of federal government employees starting falling under category of BPS 17 and above, meanwhile verification of degrees of rest of the FG employees (BPS 1 to 16) will be the responsibility of cabinet division, sources told The Nation on Monday. According to new directives, Establishment would collect and verify degrees of officers of BPS 17 and above, an official of establishment division confirmed on Monday. When tried to contact, Secretaries of Cabinet and Establishment Division and Chairman Higher Education Commission were not available for comments. Even a text message was dropped at Chaudhary Abdur Rauf and Chairman HEC Javed Lagharis cellphones asking them to return a call, however, none of them bothered to call back till filing of this report. However, an official confirmed that HEC was yet to receive any directives from the cabinet or establishment division to initiate verification of degrees.