The issue of fake degrees has cast a shadow over the political future of scores of former lawmakers as degrees of 54 of them have been declared fake and another 189 yet to be verified by the Higher Education Commission.
According to a report submitted by the HEC to election authorities scrutinising nomination papers of contestants, fake degree cases of another 19 former legislators are pending with various courts.
Having a graduation degree is no more a legal requirement, but anyone who is proved of having forged in the past stands disqualified to take part in elections.
HEC has forwarded a list of 54 lawmakers who it insists are holding fake degrees, include 18 former members of the Punjab Assembly, 14 former members of the National Assembly, seven members of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, six members of the Balochistan Assembly, five sitting members of the Senate and four former members of Sindh Assembly.
Some big names include former opposition leader and PML-N member Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, Samina Khalid Ghurki, and Tahira Aurangzaib.
As many as 54 legislators either have degrees fake or have acquired them from a non-chartered institution.
“From non-chartered university means institutes which were built in a garage and started issuing degrees,” said the HEC Chairperson Javaid Leghari.
The reportedly fake degrees include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Business Administration or a degree from a madrassa which is not recognised by the HEC.
Some 189 legislators have not submitted matriculation or intermediate certificates or other equivalent certificates.
“Without complete documentation, we cannot proceed with further verification of degrees,” Leghari said while talking to The Express Tribune.
Of the list, some 19 legislators’ cases are under litigation in different courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013.
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When I was a student of Ist year in Govt Inter College Charsadda(KPK) in 1968, Mr Afrasyab Khattak used to be active in the students politics of Peshawar University from the platform of Pukhtoon Students Federation. At that time, cheating in exams was considered a shameful act what to speak of obtaining a fake degree. It is really a misnomer for a politician who claims to be a man of principles.
Some big names include former opposition leader and PML-N member Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sheikh Waqas Akram,
Hallelujah! Fall of a phiroan. Us kay haan dair hai andhair nahin.
The so called legislators (!) who cheated their constituents and the government of Pakistan should be charged according to the law and should make good the financial expenditure incurred by the state in providing them security (salaries of the staff provided for their security),, fuel and depreciation of vehicle, salaries of staff provided, expenses incurred in fringe benefits and the cost of the election expenses. This would be the normal punishment meted out to them in any developed country, where they all have their nests. It would also serve as a lesson to future crooks.
When Pakistani leaders shall be fake degree holders and shall never submit their actual educational qualification degrees in ECP and shall raise concerns and reservations on educational degrees' matters then how this is possible that Pakistani educational standard shall improve,raise and increase and how Pakistani degrees shall be acceptable worldwide and how Pakistani fake educational degree holder leaders may/shall spend huge amount of money on the educational budget for educational improvements in Pakistan??????
The HEC was set up by ex-President Musharraf and is a highly valued institution for the excellence of education. Pray it continues to provide highly valued erudite services. Firstly, the disqualified legislators should be publicly listed in popular newspapers, the parties they represent and the wrongs committed by them. Secondly, the HEC should proceed against legislators who have submitted degrees but have not submitted matric and intermediate certificates by declaring them 'ab initio' ineligible for elections. Lastly, the 54 legislators whose degrees are fake, should not be given any invitation to TV talk shows and must be ignored from all public and private functions for irreparable damage done to the nation. Salams