ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday disqualified Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Sumaira Malik for contesting 2008 elections with a fake degree, Express News reported.
The apex court also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to file a criminal case against her.
Malik had emerged victorious in the elections in NA-69 Khushab in 2008.
The SC further said that Malik should be asked to reimburse all the expenditure incurred while she was in office.
The decision was made under a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on October 9 and was announced by the court on Monday.
Malik’s sister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Ayla Malik was also disqualified in July for the same reason.
Express News reported that one of Malik’s supporters passed away after hearing the news of her disqualification. He suffered a heart attack.
Background
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) had received over 100 allegedly fake degrees for verification belonging to legislators from the National Assembly as well as the provincial assemblies.
These degrees either have been challenged in tribunals or have been referred to the HEC by the ECP after the May 11 elections.
Official figures had revealed that around 50 MNAs and MPAs with alleged dubious or fake degrees belong to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). It is followed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party ruling in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which has degrees of 24 of its MPAs and MNAs being challenged in courts.
