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Who’s afraid of fake degrees?
The fake degrees have become a major issue in this country — and quite understandably so.
The writer is a development studies analyst based in Islamabad (foqia.khan@tribune.com.pk).
The fake degrees have become a major issue in this country — and quite understandably so. In this context, a seminar on ‘Degrees and Democracy’ recently held at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, in its choice of panelists reflected the current turmoil caused by this issue.
The seminar invited known activists like Q Isa Daudpota and Naeem Sadiq. They said that society and its constituents needed to acquire greater freedom and that this could be done through civil society’s activism. Specifically, the freedoms that they were talking about were freedom from fraud, from rigged elections, from abysmal educational standards, and from lying and cheating in general. The two have in the past sent a petition to the Supreme Court to make the Election Commission verify the degrees of legislators and to take the election commissioners to task for not checking carefully the degree holding parliamentarians.
The politicians who spoke at the SDPI seminar — such as PPP Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari — are obviously equivocal on the issue. There have been a few statements by party leaders asking their members to resign, if they have fake degrees but these have been, by and large, exceptions. One shining example is that of the PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali — he heads the National Assembly’s standing committee on education — and has taken on this issue with full force. Yet, there is no cross-cutting clear moral or legal stance on fake degree holders. On the contrary, political parties are again issuing tickets to the same members who earlier were disqualified because they got elected after obtaining fake degrees.
The battle between activists and politicians is not merely reflective of divergent ideological leanings, it reflects deeply entrenched materialist realities of postcolonial Pakistan. Activists want rule-based Pakistan and want systems and institutions to work. They want a truly independent Election Commission and Higher Education Commission. Furthermore, a demand has been made to constitute an independent citizen’s commission to oversee the process of verification of degrees by getting organisations such as the HRCP on board. The election rules need to be amended in a way that allows committed citizens to become members of parliament. Some may think this to be all impractical but many of the activists think otherwise.
On the other side, the politicians want to perpetuate existing patron-client networks. For them, ‘rule of law’ is merely a hurdle to be crossed by hook or crook to gain material favours and to distribute resources in order to get elected again. They flaunt rules; they subvert laws to serve their material gains.
Therefore, the opposing opinions in the seminar are not a mere difference of opinion. They indicate a contestation between those who want to promote rule of law and those who want to subvert it. Of course not all politicians are corrupt and neither are all activists advocates of the rule of law. There are always exceptions. However, we are talking about broader trends. There are multitude of factions and cauldron of views along the spectrum. The choice of speakers in the seminar mirrored the deeper divisiveness in the society. The battle for the rule of law and the bursting desire to subvert it is deep. Having said this, we need people from society who are not activists per se to come forward and speak their mind on this issue as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2010.
Reader Comments (8)
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“The two have in the past sent a petition to the Supreme Court to make the Election Commission verify the degrees of legislators and to take the election commissioners to task for not checking carefully the degree holding parliamentarians.”
Which Two? Civil Society or should we say the urban middle class and activists? Now give me a break! Is this the same civil society that bribe than-e-daar (read police officer), Chaprasi (read PION), the Babus (read BUREAUCRATS), Patwari (I don’t know the English translation of Patwari may be I forgot if I ever read, or English has it limitations, but thank GOD I never appeared before the court to give an oral examination of English Language), and so on and so forth? And are these the same activists the writer is talking about who get heavy aid packages from Interest Groups of our so called civil society and International donors who have specific interests in Pakistan and are not held accountable for the use of these millions of rupees and dollars they get? Which faction of Society the writer thinks is worthy of being called the civil society? 10-15 people shouting and most of the times foaming at mouth, while criticizing the Government, are worthy of being called civil society?
Oh I almost forgot “take the election commissioners to task” thing and that to by the SC. May I ask the writer, who the election commissioner is? To my limited knowledge, as I am not a leagal expert, the person is head of an institution, made constitutionally like the chief justice of Pakistan. Can one head of an Institution take another to task? And if one can, then why do we listen the cries that the institutions are colliding with each other, civil administration has collapsed, and law and order situation is deteriorated?Recommend
You should read John Locks, if you want to understand civil society. The two activists Q. Isa Daudpota and Naeem Sadiq who I have mentioned carry forward their activism entirely voluntarily. They do not receive or stash millions from foreign donors. Isa Daudpota was fired from his job by Dr Atta-ur-Rahman in November 2004 because he took up the issue of fake degrees. These activists have suffered due to this issue.
As far as holding the Election Commissioner accountable, everyone who holds a post needs to be held accountable. Your point is really rhetorical. It does not deserve a more detailed response.Recommend
One thing is clear that no one will support holders of fake degrees, but I am sorry to say here that we must give due respect to our political leadership who has great contribution to our nation. I myself belong to a media group, and it is my personal experience that some media groups especially electronic media is exaggerating the issue of fake degrees.
The media has no right to support hidden faces behind current degrees issue. We know in the media that who is supporting some media organizations (who have news channels and newspapers in their groups) and bribing the anchorocracy (anchor persons) to prove that the political leadership is completely fail to deliver.
We can also support this comment that the degree issue is overlapping all other issues especially what is happening in the Indian Occupied Jammu Kashmir. How brutal Indian armed forces killing and injuring innocent Kashmiris, and how Kashmiri media is blocked. The question is this that is our media giving proper coverage to media ban in the occupied state?
I will request to anchor persons and planners of news channels that they must stop campaign against lawmakers, democracy and (behind the scene efforts against) our country. I don’t care what others say but this degree issue is a clear conspiracy against democracy and democratic institutions, and the media is playing role of the agent for the behind the scene characters as well as for hidden faces.Recommend
” Active Civil Society”. Author should first write on this term to make the readers enlightened about their credentials and where abouts. I had been part of a 50 member group agitating rather standing for an hour demanding restoration of CJ.My familyf left afte restoration of CJ. Now its number should be 45. Without having any knowledge , I can bet that the seminar she is talking about was held in a 5 star hotel. She talks about someone named Daudpota portraying him as Che Guevera. Does anyone know him? Did Sustainable Deveolpment Policy Institute invite a voter of Muzaffargarh and ask him why did he resend Dasti to represent him rather than Daudpota. What concern a fake degree has to “Sustainable Development” in Pakistan. Why did SDPI waste funds on this issue which was not its concern.
Checking of educational documents are done at the time of scrutiny of papers. Election laws are very clear about the checking, acceptance, rejections and the appallet forums. Are the rules being changed without the consent of Chief Election Commissioner? He holds as good a Constitutional post as any other appointment specified by the constitution.
Foqia do invite me in the next seminar. the lunch is always sumptuous.Recommend
How can you trust members who got elected by submitting fake degrees? Pakistan is an Islamic republic and the third paragraph of the Objectives Resolution states:
The principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed.
Do Islamic principles of democracy allow this mockery?
The forth paragraph of the Objectives Resolution states:
Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings of Islam as set out in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Do the teaching of Islam as set out in the Quran and Sunnah allow this fraud?
The answer to both the above question is the obvious. The action against the defaulting legislators is also obvious. We should all stop making fun of our religion.Recommend
First of all, there is a typo in the earlier comment posted by me. Not John Locks, rather look up John Locke. Hope someone didn’t try to edit it.
Just one clarification on the last comment. The seminar was not held in any five star hotel. It was held in a small conference room in SDPI’s office. No sumptuous lunch was served either.
Lastly, we do certainly have our own Che Gueveras!Recommend
@ Foqia:
The good people, you mentioned in your article and comment, must have organized huge number of seminars during the past 6 years:) And people like you must have written handsome number of articles during the same period of time:) :) The Che Gueras ware asleep for last 6 years and all of a sudden they have a conscience attack! I wish they had taken this enthusiasm then!
@ Faseeha Arjumand:
By reading your comment I felt as if I am sitting in some JI Dars. But I would strongly suggest you to read Muhammad Ali Jinah’s speech in the first constituent assembly. May be its helpful in understanding the reasons behind introduction of Objective Resolution and afterwards making it the preamble of the 1973 constitution.Recommend
@Faseeha
Objective resolution is not binding upon us It was the brain child of few molvees who felt left out after creation of Pakistan. It was made part of constitution by dictator Zia in 1985
.Article 2 A of the constitution is binding. It promises equal rghts for minorities where as a non muslim has been barred from becoming President and Prime Minister.Recommend