Minister submits reference against Abid Sher Ali

Education Minister has submitted a reference against the head of the NA's standing committee on education.

Education Minister Sardar Assef Ali has submitted a reference against the head of the National Assembly’s standing committee on education for allegedly overstepping his mandate. The reference was submitted to the speaker of the National Assembly.

Talking to Express News, the education minister said that the reference has been filed against Abid Sher Ali for overstepping his mandate when he issued orders for the verification of parliamentarians’ degrees.

Sardar Assef claimed that Abid Sher Ali before taking any steps should have taken the committee members into confidence. Citing clauses from the constitution, he said that the standing committee can only prepare recommendations and has no authority to direct, as it was a domain, primarily shared by the Election Commission and the Supreme Court.

On the other hand, Abid Sher Ali has accused the education minister of protecting fake degree holders. He refuted the education minister’s remarks by saying that his powers were defined in clause 227 of the constitution.

Sher Ali further added that the committee will foil the education minister’s unholy designs, and will summon him as a ‘national criminal’, in the committee’s next meeting.

He went on to say that the standing committee was working within its ambit and the powers vested with the committee were also in the knowledge of every one.

“I enjoy the support of the whole nation. Those holding fake degrees have no right to represent the people in the parliament and the country is suffering humiliation in the comity of nations on fake degree issue”, he underscored.

It should be noted that Abid Sher Ali had formally asked the prime minister to withdraw his directives, which barred the Higher Education Commission (HEC) from directly reporting to the NA body on the fake degrees issue.

He also sought the names of universities and vice chancellors from the HEC who were creating impediments in the verification process. It may be mentioned that Sher Ali also blamed the government for causing hindrance.

Abid Sher Ali announced that he was ready to face the reference, but will refuse to back out from the commitment of purging out the parliament from the fake degree holders.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2010.