Probe finds 29 Pakistani lawmakers’ have fake degrees

ISLAMABAD - At least 29 Pakistani MPs have been found to have submitted fake degrees in order to contest polls, an official said.

Mehmood Raza, an adviser for the higher education commission, told mediapersons Tuesday: “We received 936 degrees, out of which verification of 511 degrees has been completed and 29 invalid degrees have been found.”

He refused to divulge the names of the MPs who handed over fake certificates in order to be eligible to contest polls, Dawn reported.

The full report of commission will be presented July 16.

Former president Pervez Musharraf introduced rules for 2008 polls that required elected representatives to have a bachelor’s degree. The condition was later waived by President Asif Ali Zardari’s government.

But the apex court ordered a check of the qualifications of all those who contested the 2008 elections.