Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have
declared that 47 members of provincial and national assemblies
possess fake or invalid educational degrees, with the ruling
PPP topping the list.
The list was handed over to the Election Commission by
the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday.
The lawmakers possessing fake or invalid degrees will be
called by the Election Commission to explain their position
before the Chief Election Commissioner initiates criminal
proceedings for corrupt practices against them.
The PPP with 12 fake or dubious degree-holders took the
lead and was followed by the PML-N and PML-Q with 11 each.
The 47 lawmakers submitted educational degrees that were
either fake or invalid to the Election Commission before the
2008 elections.
The list also includes the names of five lawmakers from
the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, two from the Awami National Party,
one each from the Balochistan National Party and
PML-Functional and four independent candidates.
Those holding fake or invalid degrees include federal
Ministers Israrullah Khan Zehri and Mir Humayun Aziz Kurd and
five provincial ministers.
Eleven of the lawmakers with fake degrees are members of
the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament, six
members of the Senate or upper house of Parliament, 15 members
of the Punjab assembly, one from the Sindh assembly and seven
each of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies.
Authorities have said the number is likely to go up as
scrutiny of documents of over 816 other lawmakers is still
underway.
The HEC also informed the Election Commission that 246
educational degrees were genuine.
The Election Commission said the HEC had sent back copies
of degrees of 22 lawmakers as they were not legible.
The move to verify the degrees of lawmakers had sparked
speculation about mid-term polls being held if action is taken
against legislators and parliamentarians with fake documents.
Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had made it
mandatory for persons contesting elections to hold a
bachelor`s degree.
The condition was waived by President Asif Ali Zardari`s
government.
Legal experts have said any lawmaker possessing a fake
degree will be unseated and a bye-election held to replace
him.
PTI
