Fake degree case: Election tribunal disqualifies agriculture minister

The PTI MPA in charge of the agriculture ministry had won from PK-67 in by-polls last year.

DI KHAN: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA was disqualified by an election tribunal on Wednesday after his academic degrees were found to be forged.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa agriculture minister Ikramullah Gandapur’s BA qualification was challenged by PK-67 DI Khan-IV’s runner-up Sardar Fatehullah Miankhel.

DI Khan election tribunal judge Syed Yahya Zahid Gillani declared Ikramullah’s victory in December 2013 polls null and void on charges of fake academic documents. He also disqualified him as a member of the K-P Assembly under Article 62 of the Constitution. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also been directed to hold fresh polls on PK-67 (DI Khan-IV).

Ikramullah could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

In the family

The seat was earlier won by Ikramullah’s younger brother Israrullah Gandapur, who was assassinated in a suicide attack on October 16, 2013. He was greeting people at his residence in Kulachi tehsil, DI Khan when the bomber detonated his jacket. Nine others also lost their lives in the attack.

The seat remained vacant until by-polls were conducted in the said constituency on December 15, 2013 where Ikramullah Gandapur was declared the winner.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2014.