Academic credentials of Sindh governor-designate raise eyebrows

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) pick for Sindh governor, Imran Ismail’s highest qualification is intermediate as he never graduated from any university, according to the documents he submitted for partaking in the 2018 general elections.

The PTI leader's academic credentials have raised eyebrows, drawing criticism on social and mainstream media on the nomination by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Ismail is likely to take oath as the provincial governor on Monday.



According to assets and liabilities Form-B and affidavit of contesting candidates for the general elections 2018, available on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) website, Ismail only did BCom part-I after his intermediate.

Ismail won the provincial election from Karachi’s PS-111, beating the PPP’s Murtaza Wahab.

People have mainly criticised Ismail's nomination as the governor as he would oversee all universities in Sindh.

However addressing a press conference on Saturday, Ismail said after the 18th amendment, chancellor of varsities is the chief minister, “Governor doesn’t have these powers," he added.



As for his education, he said that he’s 'foreign-qualified' and has studied from the United States and Italy, being a leather technician by profession.

On a question regarding his qualification mentioned in ECP’s Form-B, he said that whatever degrees he had with him, he had mentioned them in the form.

Meanwhile, defending Ismail’s nomination, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said if a matriculate could become president of the country then no one should be bothered about the former’s qualification as a governor.

Chaudhry was referring to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari during a media talk in Islamabad on Saturday.