SC sends ex-lawmaker’s degree for verification

ISLAMABAD: It is the obligation of the Election Commission to guard against corrupt practices, Justice Kahalil-ur-Rehman Ramday remarked on Monday during the hearing of an appeal of Yasir Raza Malik, former provincial deputy of PML-N from PP-13 Rawalpindi.

The Supreme Court sent Malik’s graduation degree to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for verification and adjourned the hearing till July 30.

Counsel Waseem Sajjad appeared before a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The CJP asked the counsel if Malik’s degree was recognised by the HEC, to which he replied he was not sure.

“All the degrees came from Al-Khair University…Al-Khair may have been made only for this purpose so that it can serve the people,” Justice Ramday observed with a hint of sarcasm.

“It is the obligation of Election Commission of Pakistan to guard against corrupt practices,” Justice Ramday pursued, and handed over the copy of judgment in Rizwan Gill’s case to the counsel. It may be mentioned here that the judgment in Rizwan Gill’s case was written by the CJP in which he fixed the responsibility of verifying degrees of contesting candidates on the Election Commission.

Waseem Sajjad informed the court that the Election Commission has announced the election schedule in the constituency therefore the SC may stay the election process till decision on his appeal.

“The election appeals we hear is also a continuation of the election process,” interjected Justice Ramday, adding that the CJP has mentioned all these points in the judgment (in Rizwan Gill’s case).

The counsel then read out the judgment, following which the CJP asked him again whether or not the HEC recognises the Al-Khair University, to which he again replied in the negative.

Later the chief justice sent the degree to the HEC for verification and adjourned the hearing till July 30, asking the commission to submit its report on the next date of hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2010.