Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered the country's Election Commission to take action against legislators who lied about their academic qualification to contest the February 2008 general election.
Around 10 federal and provincial lawmakers have so far resigned their seats because of feared disqualification through legal proceedings on petitions challenging the authenticity of their educational degrees.
The belonged to ruling Pakistan People's Party, main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Muslim League-Q, which was in power during the era of military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
Graduation was an essential condition for running in the last general election during the Musharraf regime, but it was later waived. The scandal of fake degrees is likely to hit many legislators.
The judicial order to the Election Commission came in a detailed judgment of a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry about rejection of appeal of a Punjab assembly member against his disqualification over false degree.
The judgment said the parliament of any country was one of its "noblest, honourable and important institutions."
It was incumbent upon the commission to guard against corrupt practices by launching prosecution of persons who stood accused of the commission of the same, it said.
"The punishment and consequent disqualification of such-like persons would not be an act undermining the dignity and the majesty of the houses of legislature, but an act in aid of enhancing the same," the court order said.
The chief election commissioner is expected to depute a senior officer to work out a course of action in the light of the Supreme Court verdict over the issue of fake degrees, the secretary of the commission Ishtiaq Ahmed told the media.
A National Assembly standing committee headed by a PML-N lawmaker has already asked the relevant authorities to verify educational degrees of federal and provincial legislators.
PML-N chief and former premier Nawaz Sharif has advised holders of false documents to quit the assemblies voluntarily.
