ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday disqualified Member of National Assembly Sumaira Malik of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) over the possession of a fake degree and directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take necessary action in this regard.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry issued the ruling against the lawmaker who was formerly a member of the Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) and suspended the March 2008 notification announcing Ms Malik's victory from NA-69 constituency in Khushab.
The court furthermore instructed the election commission to take necessary action in this regard.
Earlier on Oct 9, the court had reserved its judgement on the case.
Ms Malik had won the 2008 general election from NA-69, Khushab on a PML-Q ticket. A losing candidate from the constituency, Malik Umar Aslam Awan, had filed a petition challenging Ms Malik's victory and had alleged that the lawmaker done her intermediate in 1981 and in order to avoid her ineligibility, had managed to obtain a fake BA degree from the University of Punjab.
A number of lawmakers have been disqualified for possessing bogus educational degrees. The situation came about as former president Pervez Musharraf promulgated the Conduct of General Election Order 2002 which prescribed graduation condition for election to parliament.
The ordinance was promulgated at a time when Pakistan was under the military rule and the then chief executive Musharraf was exercising the powers of parliament. Hence, the graduation condition was a one-man law. It was later removed via the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.
