Real Degree: Sargana allowed to contest polls

The High Court disqualified Sargana on the grounds that his degree was fake.

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the Lahore High Court’s disqualification of Khalid Mahmood Sargana from the Punjab Assembly and allowed him to contest the next elections.

The High Court disqualified Sargana, who was elected on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid ticket from PP-78, Jhang, on January 28 on the grounds that his degree was fake.

Sargana appealed to the Supreme Court, saying that the evidence against him was false.

His counsel said on Thursday that the LHC had thrice before dismissed petitions challenging his degree, but accepted the fourth, though there was no new evidence against him.

He said his client’s academic degrees were genuine and he should be allowed to contest the elections. He asked the court to suspend the LHC judgment.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Tasadduq Hussain Jilani granted leave to the former MPA and suspended the High Court judgment disqualifying him.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2013.