Raisani unfazed by impact of fake degrees issue

The fake degrees issue has most politicians and their party bigwigs scampering around to avoid potential political fallout. But Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani is not one of them.

“A degree is a degree, whether fake or genuine,” said the swashbuckling chief minister of Balochistan.

Raisani was talking to the media after the Balochistan Assembly session, a day after the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to get the degrees of several Balochistan MPAs verified by the Higher Education Commission.

But all attempts to get a snappy sound bite from the CM failed. To every question about fake degrees, Raisani would only reiterate: “A degree is a degree.” He also refused to comment on the possibility of political fallout or entertain questions about the impact on his government. “[The fake degree issue] will not make any difference because I will reside in my own house whether the government remains or not.”

Responding to queries regarding the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan’s allegation that the CIA is using Quetta and Kabul against Iran, Raisani said the government would not allow its territory to be used against Iran or any other country. “If any one uses our territory against any other country, we will not only condemn it, we will also resist any such effort or step,” he added.

Raisani also announced his plans to travel to Islamabad to ask the Communications Department to release funds for the resumption of construction work on national highways in the province.

He also said the government is doing its utmost to trace the missing persons and insisted that doctors should not go on strike in protest because they’re responsible for saving lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2010.