One man’s wrong

Jamshed Dasti is perhaps the most hated person by politicians. Not because he featured in a controversy involving Mukhtaran Mai or because he was involved in a recent attack on doctors at a hospital. Not even because he got reelected through an official campaign after disqualification by the Supreme Court because of his fake degree.

He is disliked by his colleagues because his fake degree paved the way for humiliation for many ‘honourable’ politicians in Pakistan.

If Jamshed Dasti has committed a wrong by obtaining a fake degree, his fault has at the same time done ‘right’ for Pakistan. Had his fake degree not been caught, the process of verification of degrees wouldn’t have started and those many others who joined the Dasti Club wouldn’t have been exposed.

It’s well known that politicians aren’t the only people possessing fake degrees in our beloved country. Many others serving in public departments have similar qualifications, or lack of, to their credit.


The fear of more ‘causalities’ in the ensuing days is giving many sleepless nights as the Higher Education Commission (HEC) continues with the verification process. The ‘degree fever’ is steadily inching towards Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) as well. After Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and civil society organisations, Jamaat-e-Islami has also hinted at joining the parties demanding degree verification in G-B.

Rana Nazim, the provincial secretary information, PPP, even pinpointed police and education departments, saying that degrees of office holders in both the departments must be checked. Others say that the scope of verification be expanded to other public departments too, such as the judiciary and health.

It is generally believed that more than 70 per cent people serving in these departments in G-B hold fake degrees. If that is true, G-B will have the honour of winning the region-wise ‘fake degrees competition’. In the party-based competition, the PML-N has already outclassed its rivals.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2010.