Jamshed Dasti disqualified over fake academic credentials

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified Member of the National Assembly Jamshed Dasti over fake academic credentials. The development comes as the electoral body approved two petitions, including a reference filed by the National Assembly speaker, against Dasti seeking his disqualification.

Issuing a written verdict today, the commission’s three-member bench declared the seat vacant following the lawmaker’s disqualification. It stated that Dasti “has made false statements and incorrect declaration, therefore he has also committed offence of corrupt practices defined under Section 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017, punishable under Section 174 of the Election Act, 2017. The ECP bench directed to initiate legal proceedings and to take follow-up action under Section 190(2) of the Elections Act and other relevant provisions of law.

In May, the commission had decided to get the educational certificates of Member National Assembly (MNA) Jamshed Dasti verified by the Karachi Education Board. Dasti, who was elected from NA-175, Muzaffargarh, in the last general elections, faced cases under Articles 62, 63, Sections 4, 9, 137 of the Elections Act, 2017. Petitions were filed against him by Ameer Akbar, Zulfiqar Dogar and Sardar Faizul Hassan. A three-member ECP bench headed by ECP Member (Sindh) Nisar Durrani had heard the petition of Ameer Akbar regarding assets and liabilities against MNA Dasti. The ECP’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) member inquired whether the MNA had any property that the Election Commission had not been informed about, to which the petitioner’s lawyer took the stand that Dasti had written FA qualification (Intermediate degree) on his nomination papers while he had not completed his matriculation, The News reported.

He went on to claim that the Bahawalpur University had declared Dasti’s BA and FA certificates fake. “He claimed to have completed his matriculation from Bahawalpur Board, but that too is fake.” The petitioner’s lawyer further said Dasti had just submitted his matriculation certificate from Karachi Board in response, to which the KP member said the ECP had the power to disqualify him.

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