Exonerated: PML-N candidate acquitted in fake degree case

Khawaja Islam was elected from PP-72.

FAISALABAD:

The district and sessions judge on Saturday acquitted Khawaja Muhammad Islam from a fake degree case.

Islam, a PML-N candidate, was elected from PP-72, Faisalabad XXII, during the 2013 general elections. However, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had disqualified him for having a fake O-level certificate. The apex court had also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to register a case against him and hold an inquiry.

The ECP registered a case and submitted it to the Faisalabad district and sessions judge.

During the hearings, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Assistant Director Azizullah Khan told the court that his predecessor, Owais Ahmad, had verified Islam’s degree and declared it valid.

Islam’s counsel told the court that the ECP notification declaring Islam an MPA was suspended on the basis of challenge to his O-Level certificate and BBA degree. “Islam had obtained the degrees from the University of Hyderabad. Now, the HEC has issued clearance certificates for these and declared them valid,” he told the court.

After hearing the arguments, Judge Chaudhary Azhar Hussain acquitted Islam from the fake degree case.

After Islam’s victory was declared void, the ECP had held re-election in PP-72. Islam’s brother Khawaja Liaqat had contested elections on the PML-N ticket. The election was won by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Sheikh Khurram.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2014.