The Lahore High Court Chief Justice on Friday giving last chance to PML-N MNA Rao Mazhar Hayat Khan to produce evidence about authenticity of his degree observed that fake degrees holders were not eligible to sit in parliament. The chief justice was hearing various petitions seeking disqualification of parliamentarians facing criminal charges for possessing fake degrees, adjourned the hearing to January 24 next.

A citizen Arshad Ibrahim contended that MNA Mazhar Hayat contested election from NA-138 Kasur and was declared returned candidate. The petitioner submitted that following directions of election commission, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) sent MNA's graduation degree to the university concerned in USA and said university did not verify the degree.

Resultantly, Kasur sessions judge ordered registration of a criminal case against the MNA and police station B-division lodged an FIR on the complaint of regional election commissioner Lahore. The petitioner submitted that since the charges of bogus degree against the respondent stood proved and a case was also registered in this regard, therefore, the MNA should be declared disqualified under article 62 & 63 of the Constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012