ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday declared fake/invalid the degrees of eleven former MPs including three ex-senators and eight MPAs and ordered the respective Sessions Courts to initiate criminal proceedings against them.
The eleven former MPs included Rehana Yahya Baloch (former Senator), MIR Israr Ullah Khan Zehri (ex-Senator), Mir Mohabat Khan Mari (ex-Senator), Samina Khawar Hayat (ex-MPA), Seemal Kamran (ex-MPA), Shumaila Rana (ex-MPA), Shabina Khan (ex-MPA), Rana Ijaz Ahmed Noon (ex-MPA), Bashir Ahmad Khan (ex-MPA), Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, (ex-MPA), and Mir Nadir Magsi (ex-MPA).
The ECP in its press release said that in the case of Mukesh Kumar Chawla, ex-MPA, the earlier decision of the Commission was maintained whereas in the case of Robina Irfan, former MPA, the legal counsel of HEC assisted by Syed Asim Hussain, Assistant Director, HEC, have given a written statement during the hearing that the degree of Robina Irfan, ex-MPA, is genuine, therefore, the Commission dropped the proceedings against her.
The case of Pitanbar Sewani, Ex-MPA was partly heard and adjourned for full hearing to 11-04-2013 as the Election Commission has summoned full record from the University and the Board concerned. The case of Nawabzada Muhammad Akbar Senator was heard and the same is too under consideration as yet.
It further said that decision on degrees of these MPs was taken in the light of directive and judgment of the Supreme Court passed on 01-04-2013.
The apex court had directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to revisit the 27 degree cases, which earlier the Commission had either cleared or closed due to the various grounds that were brought to its notice during the hearing.
Accordingly notices were issued to fifteen-degree holders as three of them had passed away and degrees of nine Members were cleared by the Higher Education Commission the statement said, adding that after hearing these fifteen respondents on 5th and 6th of April 2013 the degrees of eleven Ex-MPs were found fake/invalid.
INP adds: About 79 former Parliamentarians and MPAs have not got their degrees verified till the last date given by the Election Commission of Pakistan in line with the Supreme Court verdict.
According to information, the former Parliamentarians and MPAs who did not get their degrees verified were:
Abdul Raziq, FATA, Abdur Rahim Khan Mandokhail, Balochistan, Gul Naseeb Khan, KPK, Fauzia Arshad, KPK, Gulshan Ara, Punjab,
Liaquat Ali Khan, NA-152, Mian Abdul Haq alias Mian Mitho NA-200, Pir Dilawar Shah, NA-14, Syed Haider Ali Shah NA-16, Nawaz Khan NA-22, Mehboobullah NA-23, Shahzada Muhyuddin NA-32, Bilal Rehman NA-36, Zafar Baig Bhatani NA-47, Farhat Begum NA-Reserve, Talat Iqbal Mahessar NA-233, Attiya Inayat Ullah NA-Reserve, Begum Shahnaz Shaikh NA Reserve, Dr Nalson Azeem, NA-Reserve, Azeem Daultana, NA-168, Shahbaz Bhatti, NA-Reserve, Capt (retd) Rai Ghulam, Mujtaba Kharral, NA-143, Al-Haaj Muhammad Ilyas Chinioti, PP-73, Makhdoom Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani, PP-267, Ahmad Ali Aulakh, PP-262, Ch Muhammad Awais, Aslam Madhana, PP-31, Ch Nadeem Khadim, PP-26, Ch Javed Ahmad Advocate, PP-228, Haji Muhammad Yaqub Sheikh PP-77, Kamran Michel PP-Reserve, Karam Dad Wahla PP-219, Mahmooda Cheema PP-Reserve, Makhdoom Muhammad Irtaza PP-291, Makhdoom Syed Ali Raza Shah PP-89, Asif Bashir Bhagat PP-117, Khalid Mehmood Sargana PP-78, Khurram Nawab, Muhammad Amir Ghani PP-203, Muhammad Masood Lali PP-80, Saeed Akbar Khan PP-49, Shaharyar Ali Khan PP-234, Shahzad Saeed Cheema PP-224, Tariq Mehmood Sahi PP-116, Mrs Samina Wasim Butt PP-135, Najmi Saleem PP-Reserve, Nargis Parveen Awan PP-Reserve, Nawabzada Syed Shamas Haider PP-27, Pervaiz Rafiq PP-Reserve, Rana Munawar Hussain alias Rana Munawar Ghous Khan PP-36, Sardar Muhammmad Aman Ullah Khan Dreshak PP-249, Zaib Jaffar PP-Reserve, Maiza Hameed PP-Reserve, Khawaja Muhammad Islam PP-72, Tayyaba Zamir PP-Reserve, Faiza Asghar PP-Reserve, Dr Partab Singh PS-Reserve, Dr Nasrullah Baloch PS-1, Mir Haji Muhammad Hayat Khan Talpur PS-66, Mir Mehboob Ali PS-67, Amanullah Khan Masood PS-128, Askari Taqvi PS-113, Mrs Rukia Khanum PS-Reserve, Agha Irfan Karim PB-36, Muhammad Rahim PB-40, Mrs Samina Raziq PB-Reserve, Mrs Nasreen Rehman Khetran PB-17, Zahoor Ahmad PB-49, Ateef ur Rehman PF-5, Muhammad Alamgir Khalil PF-6, Sher Afghan Khan PF-26, Mufti Kifayatullah PF-55, Ziyad Akram Durrani PF-70, Qaser Wali Khan PF-78, Hayat Khan PF-93, Muhammad Zamin Khan PF-96, Dr Zakirullah Khan PF-97, Dr Faiza Rasheed PF-Reserve, Tabassum Younis Katozai PF-Reserve, Waji-uz-Zaman Khan PF-56.
Sources said with such a huge number of former Parliamentarian/MPAs failing to get their degrees verified from the High Education Commission means that they are out of the election race and new blood is certain to take their place.