Imran Khan. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan said that PTI leader Ayla Malik's intermediate degree was not fake, but was a case of a 'technical lacuna', Express News reported.
A two-member tribunal comprising justices Mamoon Rasheed and Ayesha A Malik had earlier declared PTI candidate for NA-71 Ayla Malik ineligible to contest the by-elections based on the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education’s (RBISE) finding that her intermediate (FA) degree was forged.
Advocate Zameer Sheikh, the lawyer for petitioner Ubaidullah Shadikhail, a PML-N candidate who challenged Ayla’s education credentials, argued before the court that the FA degree of the candidate is fake and this was also confirmed in a written reply from the RBISE.
Khan said that the ECP was discriminating against the PTI and favouring other political parties.
Giving an example of such discrimination, the PTI Chairman said that the ECP had allowed a PML-N candidate to take part in re-elections in the NA 103 constituency of Hafizabad, but a PTI candidate who had more evidence and more petitions highlighting rigging had been referred to tribunals.
“Why wasn’t PML-N’s candidate referred to the tribunals as well?” he asked.
He added that a PML-N candidate on a plea bargain with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been allowed to take part in elections.
'ECP, SC responsible for rigging in general elections'
In a press conference on Tuesday, the PTI Chairperson launched a scathing attack on the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to address the rigging that took place in the May 11 general elections.
Imran questioned the Supreme Court’s and ECP’s inability to verify all votes by fingerprint readers in the four provinces. He said that all political parties had a right to information which the Supreme Court and the ECP should honour, and that political parties could even count the votes themselves if they were presented with counterfoils.
He said that the Returning Officers (RO) played a big role in election rigging.
Speaking about the voting process in India, Khan said that the reason why 400 million people in India went to vote and accepted election results without chaos was the biometric system they had implemented. He said that PTI was trying its best to introduce a biometric system before the next KPK local elections.
Combating terrorism
In light of the recent attack by Tehreek-e-Taliban insurgents on the Central Prison in Dera Ismail Khan, who managed to escape with 230 prisoners including suspected militants, Khan said that PTI needed some time to combat terrorism in Khyper Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
He said that KPK had no independent intelligence on terrorist attacks, but had to refer to the federal government for intelligence reports.
COMMENTS (52)
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Pakistan is a place where every fault is called a technical mistake. grow up IK
Tahir ul Quadri was right.
Imran please bring honest candidates for PTI seats, if she cant prove that she is right then she is wrong.
@Irfan: Its ET which structured the article around Ayla (ignoring important issues) not IK.
So you think Ayla Malik is illitrate or matric.... U must be kidding. Listen to her and decide. Rawalpindi (Punjab Borad) is trying to please its masters....
The comments section gives a good picture of the PML-N electorate, they really elected a leader just like them. For the rest of the self-respecting Pakistanis, IK's time will come and you will see the difference.
@ Tariq - I completely agree with you. Imran Khan has lost his mind - comparing apples to oranges - and he thinks the people of Pakistan are stupid or illiterate. Cause his statement makes me wonder if he is questioning the intelligence of the people of Pakistan . Who cares if a PMLN candidate had a fake degree ? Talk about your candidate sir - Ayla Malik is a PTI candidate .....
First it was Ghulam Sarwar Khan and now it is Ayla Malik. The fake degreeholders of PTI are getting exposed with each passing day... Fearing Supreme Court's action against these fraudsters, Imran Khan has started criticising the Supreme Court by following the footsteps of PPP.
Anohter Nawab Raisani is in making.
Why is ET referring to a "degree" for "intermediate"? Do they give degrees now at intermediate level? Wow, we sure have progressed!
Imran Khan is a honest man with genuine desire to make Pakistan better and has strong determination and perception to fight this corrupt system. He does not point fingers unless he has evidence to back it up. One thing is clear after recent events PMLN + EC + Judiciary = 1 League and he calling Spade a Spade. He is not like other politicians or judiciary with double standards. The problem with this country is whenever someone JUSTLY tries to raise his voice against corrupt system he is tarnished as sore loser or finger pointer. Please don not bundle Imran Khan with rest of bad eggs and we should encourage such leaders otherwise this country will always be in hands of these Principle lacking parties like PMLN and MQM. May Allah help us.
@Ali S: Sir jee his is not pointing fingers. He has always stated facts when he knows he has evidence to back it up. There are 2 cases where PMLN candidates were allowed to participate in elections even though they had cases in NAB with more solid evidence and many petitions against them. Even in this presidential election the judiciary was eager to change the dates to favor PMLN. I mean what kind of democracy and judiciary is this that favors only 1 party. 2013 elections are another example of this one party favor. PTI has submitted petitions in courts, why no action has been taken yet to do thumbprint check. On other side a petition gets filed by PMLN against Ayla Malik and one for Changing Presidential election date the decision is made immediately. We all know Imran Khan he is not like your typical Pakistani gimmicky politicians or judges, he is honest man with clear vision and perception about things and wants to genuinely change Pakistan for that better. Our problem is we just think whenever someone Justly raises his voice against this corrupt system he is being a sore loser or making a fool of himself. One thing is clear after recent events PMLN + EC + Judiciary = 1 League
@Irfan: sir jee they ask him many questions and he replies to all of them and one of the questions that press asked him was regarding Ayla Malik and he answered it. he didnt hold a press conference just for that.
cry baby of politics ;)
Match fixing in politics is not that much easy as in cricket.
Blamed the judiciary,blamed the ECP,blamed international observers and now I think he will blame THE ROYAL BABY for D.I Khan attack. :D
Ayla brought bad name to the party and she should be kicked out. IK should think above personalities and should hold those accountable who were instrumental in awarding ticket to her; when rumour was already out that she holds a fake intermediate degree and a fake bachelor degree from Russia.
"Ayla Malik's degree a case of 'technical lacuna': Imran Khan" From the dictionary: lacuna - an unfilled space or interval; a gap.
Imran Sahib your party's and your personal accountability and credibility is also becoming a case of "lacuna"
If Ayla Malik has Fake degree then how was she a member of National assembly in Mush's era when Graduation was must for the legislators forget about F.A Certificate, same goes for Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Imran's statement in that light looks valid!
Does he ever accepts that he is wrong? Always blaming others for his own mistakes. If things don't go his way then there is a conspiracy against him.
IK says quote "Ayla Malik's Case a Technical Lacuna" he further add's ECP n SC discriminating against PTI than ECP allowed PLM-N candidate to go for election but not PTI candidate. Here question was on Ayla Malik fake FA certificate, NOT whole Pakistan political arena. IK please at least try to think first than say, your each wrong word adds another one foot of hole n if you are not well just take leave from politics n rest.
Imran Khan has proved time and again, he is a problem child of politics. He does not know how to respond to a situation. No, vision, no ethics no principles, he knows only how to blame others, either politicians or institutions. Pity on this screen (TV screen, computer screen and mobile screen) baby, opportunities, funds and support could not make him a politician and leader.
I bet Fauzia Kasuri would be wishing that she was 15-20 years younger!
@Irfan: Well Said.
There are two issues here, one is the case of Ayesha A Malik's fake FA degree and the other is the rigging of the elections. Mr.Khan has tried to mix them together but it is not mixable. He would have been better off to concentrate on her fake degree and if there was any problem, it should have been spelled out precisely and not going on tangents. I like Mr.Khan and his party's manifesto but he needs to be honest when defending his party members.
I am the votr of pmln but i believe imran khan never speaks wrongly in case of ayla malik his opinion is right
Utter nonsense by Mr. Khan. He should have taken this on his chin and moved forward. Act like a leader not like a playboy please!
Nadra does not have biometric data of million of people (http://beta.dawn.com/news/774024/nadra-does-not-have-biometric-data-of-3-72m-women-voters)
Even if it had, impossible to verify all votes using smudgy thumb impressions from a ballot paper.
If the thumb impression wasn't good enough and NADRA can't verify the print, will it mean someone's valid vote will be discarded? Pathetic.
With Nawaz Sharif heading the country, IK being the Real opposition leader... all hope and romance associated with election 2013 is gone.... God have mercy on us...
See his priority, people in kpk are being killed and he is busy in hiding his election failure by blaming institutions/others.
A man has got to do what a man has got to do! Lonely IK needs TLC.
I'm a PTI supporter, but I'm totally speechless on Ayla's fake degree case. I don't know whether, its the same Imran Khan, I have dreamed, or some one else !!
"Technical lacuna": That's fancy talk for "degree degree hoti hai; jaali ho ya asli".
Imran Khan: blame everything and everyone. When the judiciary rules in things that you like, they are heroes, otherwise they are part of the problem. Start taking some responsibility. Your KPK province is in dire straits while you continue to support your FAKE DEGREE HOLDERS and your TTP brethren.
Love is blind :d
Ignorance of Ignorance is the death of logic..Mr. Khan such a statement is a direct result of an eroded brain that causes lacuna..
ET is making much more extra money today by bashing IK. The masters must be pleased!! ;)
@Tariq bhai.... good one yaar.... IK should give up defending her.. apart from love Merit should be follow
sir. with all due respect,actually there's no respect left,this guy is gone beyond something called ethics,morals ann common sense
Aashiquee III.....
You even blame SC and ECP for your GF... Come on IK
Please IK do not defend her... please do not let your play boy status overcome... please fight
Selecting such crooks as this woman Malik to represent the good people is bad choice, either a mistake or premeditated attempt at hoodwinking, and now defending Ayla Malik's thuggery and crime is even worse. Should the people start suspecting that this self-perceived righteous man is in collusion with the thugs of the land to trick us all?
This is hypocrisy and double standard by Imran Khan. Of course, there might be many people in Pakistan who have fake degrees and still they are enjoying the best of everything. However, Imran Khan took the moral high stand of fairness and justice. After, playing with people’s emotions using lofty slogans it looks extremely bad for Imran Khan to support fake degree holders like Ayla Malik.
Mister! United we stand, divided we fall. You should have boycotted the presidential election to put up united pressure on Election commission. Currently PMLN owns the election commission and the judiciary, and you need more than mere statements to correct it.
Feel Sorry for Khan, he even had a reserved seat next to him for her in NA ;)
I voted for PTI, but IK has completely lost the plot. He's making a joke of PTI and himself with every passing day. Instead of accepting responsibility for the cheaters within the so-called 'party of justice', he has the guts to point fingers at other institutions to divert attention. It seems like Naya Pakistan is going to be an even bigger nightmare than Purana Pakistan.
one shud learn from IK how to avoid real questions. Ayla Malik is a bigger issue for him than terrorism.
He is right, the whole Pakistani system is pro-status quo and is against anyone who tries to stand up to it.
Waa jee, ofcourse this is a technicality.