Scrutiny process: ECP orders criminal proceedings against fake degree holders

Degrees of three former senators, eight MPAs degrees declared invalid.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan recommended on Sunday criminal proceedings against three former members of the Senate and eight members of the provincial assembly after finding their degrees to be invalid.

The commission also sent the cases to their respective session courts so that legal proceedings could be initiated against them.

In its April 1 judgment, the Supreme Court directed the ECP to revisit 27 degree cases, which the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had either cleared or closed due to various reasons presented during the hearings.

After hearing the respondents on April 5 and April 6, the ECP declared their degrees “invalid”, an official statement said.

The ECP also noted that three lawmakers who allegedly held bogus degrees and whose cases were pending with the Commission had passed away.



Names of three former Senators whose degrees have been declared invalid include: Rehana Yahya Baloch, Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri and Mir Mohabat Khan Mari.

The eight former members of provincial assemblies whose degrees were declared invalid included Samina Khawar Hayat, Seemal Kamran, Shumaila Rana, Shabina Khan, Rana Ijaz Ahmed Noon, Bashir Ahmad Khan, Nawabzada Tariq Magsi and Mir Nadir Magsi.

Additionally, in case of former MPA Mukesh Kumar Chawla ECP’s earlier decision was maintained.

Furthermore, HEC told ECP that ex-MPA Robina Irfan’s degree was genuine, therefore proceedings against her were dropped.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2013.