LAHORE – Once a judge said in a landmark judgment: “Not only must justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.” The maxim can be seen in play in our country.
On Thursday, two more of the former MPs were sent to jail over fake degrees. The ‘men of the day’ were all-popular Jamshed Dasti of Muzaffargarh, sentenced to three years in jail, and ANP’s Syed Aqil Shah of Peshawar, sentenced to a year and a Rs3,000 fine.
After the judgment, Dasti was seen crying, something the people of Pakistan have long been doing owing to the deeds of manipulators like him in the assemblies. Cry they all should now.
Hopefully, justice will be done to many others who are in line as the Election Commission has summoned today (Friday) 24 parliamentarians over fake degrees. Another 189 former parliamentarians, who did not get their degrees verified, have been told to get them verified from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) by Sunday.
Thursday was a long day for several former parliamentarians as different local courts across the country took the cheaters to task.
PML-N ex-MNA Syed Salman Mohsin Gilani of Pakpattan and Malik Muhammad Iqbal Langrial, ex-MPA from Sahiwal, were declared proclaimed offenders. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued for former PML-N MPA Mir Badhshah Qaisrani of Dera Ghazi Khan. Local courts reserved verdicts in fake degree cases against PPP’s former Balochistan minister Ali Madad Jatak and Javaid Hasnain Shah.
There was also a bad news for former PML-Q federal minister Shaikh Waqas Akram, in whose defence the outgoing National Assembly even went to the extent of passing a resolution condemning a journalist who had questioned his degree. The Cambridge University has declared the A-Levels certificate submitted by Shaikh as fake.
The former MNA had recently quit the PML-Q along with 25 local leaders and joined PML-N this month. He was elected an MNA during the 2008 election from NA-89 (Jhang-IV) constituency in Punjab. The Intermediate Board Committee had conveyed the message in this regard to the HEC.
Our correspondent from Muzaffargarh, Mujeeb Zahid reported that Jamshed Dasti on Thursday afternoon was sentenced three years rigorous imprisonment and Rs5,000 fine in the fake degree case by District and Sessions Judge Abdul Rehman Khan Niazi. Dasti was arrested from outside the courtroom following his sentencing and immediately shifted to District Jail Muzaffargarh.
The former lawmaker reached National Assembly on Pakistan Peoples Party ticket and was made chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Sports. He had been elected from the Muzaffargarh NA-178 constituency in 2008 and later returned from the same seat in a by-election. He later resigned as MNA in 2010 after the Supreme Court ordered him to present his graduation degree.
Our correspondent from Peshawar reported that the additional district and sessions judge sentenced former ANP lawmaker and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sports minister, Syed Aqil Shah, to one year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 for holding a fake degree. Shah was elected an MPA from PK-4 constituency of Peshawar. The former MPA was arrested by police at the conclusion of hearing.
Our Pakpattan correspondent reported on Thursday that a District and Sessions Judge declared former PML-N MNA Syed Salman Mohsin Gilani a proclaimed offender over possessing a fake degree. Gilani was elected Member National Assembly from NA-165 Pakpattan in the 2008 election.
Our Sahiwal correspondent reported that District and Sessions Judge Mushtaq Ahmed Tarar on Thursday ordered that service of ex-MPA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Langarial shall be effected through proclamation under Section 87 CrCP from May 4, 2013. Proclamation order was sent to Sahiwal DPO for service. The court also ordered the revenue officials to submit detailed report of movable and immovable property of Iqbal Langarial.
Langarial was elected from PP-226 (Sahiwal VII). While filing his nomination papers for 2008 election, he attached his degree of Sanad-ul-Faragh, issued by Madrassatul Quran al-Aarabia Bahrul Aloom, Shikarpur and Sanad Shahadatul Almiya, issued by Jamia Talimat-e-Islamia, Faisalabad. But these degrees were fake on scrutiny by HEC on 30-8-2010.
The court summoned him and he appeared on 15-1-2013 and obtained a bale. His request for acquittal from case was rejected on 30-3-2013. Later, Iqbal Langarial did not appear before the court and the court first issued bailable warrants and then on 1-4-2013 issued non-bailable warrants, observing that he in fact has absconded himself. Then the court ordered for his service through proclamation, besides ordering for preparing file for proceeding against the surety he had provided.
Our staff reporter from Quetta reported that Additional Session Judge VI Abdul Hakeem Kakar reserved the judgment of PPP’s former provincial minister Ali Madad Jattak’s fake degree case. Jattak along with his counsel appeared before the court on Thursday. After the hearing the case, the court reserved the judgment.
Talking to media later, Jattak’s lawyer Daud Kasi advocate said that many points were discussed during the hearing and the court had also sought their explanation from Election Commission. Ali Madad Jattak was elected member of Balochistan MPA on PPP ticket in 2008 elections. He had presented a graduation degree of Shah Abdul Latif Battahi University, Khairpur but the degree was not approved, and the Election Commission had directed for action against him.