Higher Education Commission is authorized to verify the degrees of any local or foreign university, said a copy of the Presidential Ordinance 2002 released by the Commission, report said on Saturday. According to the Presidential Order, only the PM could oversee the Commission matters and not the education minister. The Ordinance said that the chief of HEC would be the chief executive of the country after the premier, while he enjoyed the status same as that of any other federal minister. HEC is the only institution of the country which could verify and give an equivalent certificate.