Despite clear directions from the Supreme Court (SC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a total of 180 members of national and provincial assemblies, including six incumbent senators have not as yet verified their educational degrees from the Higher Education Commission (HEC). HEC sources said on Sunday that 55 MPs have so far been disqualified following court orders for having fake degrees on the basis of HEC reports while cases of 17 members are pending in various courts. Sources said ECP and HEC are in touch and those who have not gotten their degrees verified, would not be able to contest in the upcoming elections. They said the ECP had sent reminders to 249 MPs on 7th February, 2013 asking them to get their degrees verified within 15 days. In response to the letter, about seventy members sent their degrees to HEC which were found to be genuine. The ECP in its letter had made clear that if degrees were not verified within the due date, they would be considered as fake and appropriate action would be taken.
