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Fake degrees..

Posted on: Mon October 11, 2010

 12 legislators to appear before ECP committee today

ISLAMABAD  : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned 12 legislators belonging to national and provincial assemblies on Monday, asking them to appear before the committee and explain as to why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against them for presenting fake degrees, along with nomination papers to the ECP.

Sources said that the record of Higher Education Commission (HEC) shows that degrees of these legislators are bogus, and they have been asked to appear before the four-member committee of the ECP, constituted on the directives of the Supreme Court to explain their position.

The members whose degrees have been proved to be bogus can be tried, as per ECP rules, under criminal proceedings for using corrupt practices to fulfil the requirements of contesting election.  Such members can not only be sent to jail for three years but can also be disqualified for at least five years.  The CCP could forward criminal cases against them to the concerned district and sessions judge of their constituency.

Sources said that criminal cases against fake degree holders are pending with the ECP largely because the Election Commission (EC) is incomplete after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment.  Recently, the ECP had also sought advice from the Supreme Court on the issue whether the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) could function in the absence of EC.  They said that the procedure with respect to appointment of ECP members has been changed after the approval of 18th Constitutional Amendment.  Now only a retired judge can be appointed as its member in consensus with the opposition.

The ECP has so far received cases of 58 fake degrees.  Hearings against 37 members have already been completed by the ECP, while 12 legislators would be appearing on Monday, and hearing against the remaining 10 members would be held on October 18.

Four members are from National Assembly, six of Punjab Assembly, one of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa Assembly and one legislator is of Balochistan Assembly who have been summoned by the ECP.

MNAs include Hayatullah Tarin, Ghulan Dastagir Rajar, Nasir Ali Shah, and Hamdan Khan, while Punjab MPAs are Safdar Gul, Zulfiqar Ali, Badshah Khan Qaisrani, Rizwan Gul, Haji Nasir and Shaukat Aziz Bhatti.  Yar Muhammad Rind is from Balochistan Assembly.  Sources in the ECP said that Director General Attestation, Higher Education Commission, Rahim Channa, will present his verification report about the degrees of new members to the Committee.

Five members of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies will be appearing on the fresh notice whereas Member National Assembly Nasir Ali Shah is on the final notice and verification report of the Kuishwar Kumar will be submitted to the Committee by the ECP.  The ECP four-member committee will be headed by Joint Secretary Muhammad Afzal Khan.

Courtesy : Business Recorder