ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan a fresh list of newly-elected National Assembly members whose educational degrees are suspicious.
The three-member bench of the apex court was hearing different identical petitions filed against parliamentarians having fake degrees.
According to details, the MNAs whose degrees are suspected to be fake or unverified include Samina Khawar Hayat, Mian Shafi, Mir Badshah Qaiserani, Mian Nadir Magsi, Liaquat Hussain Bhatti, Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, Dewan Ashiq Hussain, Khawaja Islam, Zeb Jafar, Maulvi Agha Muhammad, Miss Maiza Hameed, Iftikhar Hussain Gilani and Bilal Rehman.
The court also directed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit a report about these alleged fake degree holders with comments.
While hearing fake degree case of former MNA Liaqat Hussain Bhatti, the court directed the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Lahore and Sindh Technical Education Board to produce record before the HEC.
The HEC official informed the court that 18 degree verification cases of parliamentarians were in process while 71 former and existing parliamentarians had not submitted their original degrees for verification and declared 91 parliamentarians degrees as genuine.
The court directed the commission to submit list of those whose cases have not yet been decided.
Muhammad Hanif, the HEC representative, informed the court that it was the duty of the Election Commission to check the original degrees of the candidates willing to contest election as HEC could not verify photo copy of the degree.
Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan remarked that if a candidate does not produce original documents before HEC, he should be declared disqualified.
Counsel Ahmed Awais for Haq Nawaz Virk, the petitioner against Liaquat Hussain Bhatti, informed the court that Bhatti submitted nomination papers for two National Assembly seats and one provincial seat with different educational qualification.
The ECP official informed the court that due to massive rigging, the ECP had declared election in NA-103 null and void on June 12.
The court subsequently adjourned the hearing till June 26.
