Fake degrees: Two former MPAs declared POs

LAHORE: District and Sessions Judge Hamid Hussain on Wednesday declared two former members of the provincial assembly proclaimed offenders. Afshan Farooque and Saima Aziz were accused of submitting fake degrees during the 2008 elections. They were elected on reserved seats. The court also issued a perpetual arrest warrant for the parliamentarians along with an attachment of the properties mentioned in their nomination forms. According to the provincial election commission, the former MPAs’ educational degrees could not be verified. Aziz had submitted a BA degree certificate from Islamia University Bahawalpur. Faroque had submitted a BBA degree certificate from Preston University and a BA degree certificate from the Punjab University. The ECP had registered FIRs against the two MPAs in the Islampura police station. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified them for holding fake degrees and making false declarations in their nomination papers. They were charged under Sections 78 and 82 of the People’s Representative Act 1976 and Sections 193 (submitting false evidence), 196 (using evidence known to be false), 197 (signing a false certificate), 198 (using a certificate known to be false) and 199 (false statement made in declaration of evidence) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2014.