ISLAMABAD – Despite the about being an independent body, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has failed to get cases registered against the lawmakers holding fake degrees. Around 14 fake degrees cases were sent by the ECP to the district police officers (DPOs) concerned for necessary action, but only five have been registered so far.
A source told Pakistan Today that only one fake degree holder MPA, Sardar Ali from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had been arrested, and he being an independent, did not belong to any political party. The source also said the arrest of Sardar had been orchestrated by a political party whose candidate had defeated by him during the last elections.
A senior official of the ECP said, “If a political party can play a role in arresting a fake degree holder, it is dishonesty on the part of the ECP as it is not doing enough to get the cases registered against those who submitted fake degrees for contesting elections.” It is interesting to note that the case against Sardar Ali was referred on January 4, but the cases forwarded on December 9 have not been considered yet.
The 14 lawmakers whose cases were sent to police include Farah Deeba, Zahoor Hussain Khosa, Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, Muhammad Rizwan Gill, Amir Yar Warn, Ali Madad Jattak, Badshah Khan Qaisrani, Muhammad Khan Toor, Syed Muhammad Salman Mohsin, Sardar Ali, Haji Nasir Mehmood, Saima Aziz, Safina Saima Khar and Rana Ijaz Ahmed.
Moreover, in a bid to protect 21 other fake degree holders, whose cases were closed months back by the hearing committee, the ECP did not forwarded the matter to police despite the committee’s recommendation to the chief election commissioner. Yar Muhammad Rind, Saima Aziz, Mazhar Hayat, Abdul Samad Akhundzada, Abdul Qayyum, Syed Aqil Shah, Haji Raziud Din and Ijaz Ahmed are prominent among the list.
The ECP is also seemingly reluctant in taking action against more than 250 lawmakers who have not submitted their matriculation and intermediate certificates to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) despite repeated reminders.
