Supreme Court orders action against ex-MNA

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against PPP’s ex-MNA Amir Yar Waran over his fake degree.

The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was hearing election matters related to the MNA elected from NA-184 Bahawalpur.

Waran’s counsel informed the bench his client had resigned on Thursday and his resignation had been accepted but the chief justice still asked for a copy of the resignation.

Meanwhile, Balochistan University registrar Mohammad Iqbal Qasim submitted a report regarding Waran’s degree. Qasim said the MNA enrolled in 2004 but appeared for the supplementary examinations in 2005 as an external candidate and also added that Waran had not submitted a migration certificate or attested photographs.

At this, Justice Tariq Parvez raised a question about the possible connivance of university officials since no candidate can get their examination board changed without submitting a migration certificate. But Waran, said Parvez, was allowed to take the examination and his result was announced as well.

Aftab Ahmed Bajwa, counsel for petitioner Mian Najeebuddin, said the Bachelors of Commerce degree from Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur Waran had purportedly been acquired in 1997 was later repudiated by the university. Bajwa also said the MNA later got someone else to take BA examinations from Islamia University, Bahawalpur, on his behalf but was caught by university officials. As a result, said Bajwa, the disciplinary committee of the university disqualified him from appearing for a period of three years and cancelled his examination results.

Bajwa said Waran then enrolled himself in Balochistan University, appeared in the 2005 BA examinations but failed. Bajwa also told the court that Balochistan University had also initiated proceedings against Waran and had found him guilty of concealment and retaining the Balochistan University degree he wasn’t entitled to. Bajwa also apprised the court of criminal proceedings pending against Waran in Chistian.

The registrar of Balochistan University then told the court that the academic council of the university had already repudiated the degree awarded to Waran but the MNA had filed an appeal before the higher authority of the Balochistan University. The registrar said the syndicate is expected to decide the matter next week.

Disposing of the matter, the court directed Balochistan University to submit the syndicate’s decision regarding Waran’s appeal to the Chief Election Commissioner. The court also asked the Election Commission to take action against the ex-lawmaker under section 78 of the People’s Representatives Act 1976.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2010.