G-B CM disqualified over fake degree

GILGIT:

 

The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court on Tuesday disqualified Khalid Khurshid Khan as the chief minister of the region over allegedly obtaining a licence from the bar council on the basis of a fake degree.

A three-member bench, headed by Judge Inayatur Rahman, passed the order on a petition filed seeking the CM’s disqualification.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s Ghulam Shahzad Agha, a member of the G-B Assembly, through his counsel Amjad Hussain had challenged Khurshid’s degree.

Khurshid is also the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s regional president.
The petitioner sought his disqualification under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The petitioner contended that the degree submitted by Khurshid had not been verified by the University of London and that the Higher Education Commission had declared it fake.

In May, Chief Judge Ali Baig had constituted a bench to hear the case, issuing notices to the chief minister, HEC, G-B Bar Council and others to submit their replies within 14 days.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the respondents completed their arguments after which the bench disqualified Khurshid as the CM for five years.

However, following his disqualification, a no-confidence motion was submitted against the CM in the G-B Assembly Secretariat almost immediately.

There were reports that the opposition members submitted a no-confidence motion to thwart the possible plan of the chief minister to dissolve the assembly.
Sources said that nine members submitted the motion.

On the other hand, they said, Khurshid's consultation to dissolve the assembly was ongoing.

After the hearing, Advocate Hussain told the media that Khurshid had submitted an American degree, which he claimed was obtained from Axact, to the G-B Bar Council and obtained a lawyer’s licence.

However, the sources said that Khurshid was awaiting a detailed verdict after which he would file an appeal in the G-B Supreme Appellate Court.

Addressing the party workers, Khurshid reassured them not to worry, saying: “The next chief minister, whoever he will be, would also be of the PTI, as these people do not know that we are not greedy for the chair or power but want justice to prevail.”

(With input from news desk)