Hearing the fake-degrees case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Higher Education Commission to complete the degree verification process by June 26 and proceed against all former and sitting MPs, who had not provided the educational documents required for the verification of their graduation degrees.
The court directed the HEC to submit a report after completing the verification process. It also directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against the fake-degree holders.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, also issued notices to PML-Q leader Wajhat Hussain, Khawaja Aslam, Mian Shafi and Amna Ulfat seeking their replies to the applications challenging their degrees.
During the hearing, an HEC representative presented a fresh list of dubious degree-holders, most of who had made it to the new National and provincial assemblies after the May 11 elections.
The lists carried the names of PML-Q lawmaker Samina Khawar Hayat, Mian Shafi, Mir Badshah Qaiserani, Akbar Magsi, Liaquat Hussain Bhatti, Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, Dewan Ashiq Hussain, Khawaja Aslam, Zeb Jaffar, Maulvi Agha Muhammad, Miss Maiza, Iftikhar Gilani and Bilal Rehman.
Hearing the case regarding Liaqat Abbas Bhatti’s dubious degrees, the bench expressed annoyance over the performance of the HEC and the ECP.
The court also observed that in case dubious degree-holders were unable to provide the documents required for the verification of their degrees, the court would order that FIRs be registered against them.
To a court query, the HEC representative told the court that as many as 71 cases of parliamentarians’ degrees were yet to be decided by the HEC.
The court directed the HEC chairman to proceed against all those former or sitting lawmakers who were not providing required educational credential for the verification of their graduation degrees.
Later, further proceedings were adjourned until June 26.
Names given by gthe HEC to SC is a great news. They are going to get what they deserve. Cheats got no place in Pakistan A predominantly Muslim country with so many cheats its time that they are caught and punished severely leaving a good lesson for others
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