Court rejects: ECP plea to penalise disqualified lawmaker

MANSEHRA: Additional Sessions Judge Ajmal Tahir has dismissed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s application seeking penalisation of the disqualified PML-N MPA Mian Ziaur Rehman for committing fraud and submitting forged degree with it in the general elections.

The judge, after hearing counsels of Ziaur Rehman and the ECP, dismissed the latter’s application.

The Commission had moved an application with Additional Sessions judge, Mansehra, soon after the Supreme Court disqualified Rehman in the fake degree case.

Asad Chihan, counsel for Ziaur Rehman, had pleaded to the court to punish Rehman for fraudulently preparing the fake BA degree and submitting it with the latter as a contender in general elections.

“Ziaur Rehman, who was disqualified from the provincial assembly seat in December 2018 by apex court, was facing charges of submitting the fake degree and recording the false statements with the ECP during the general elections held in 2008, 2013 and 2018,” Chohan said.

He said the respondent, according to the allegations leveled by the ECP, had submitted a fake BA degree in the 2008 general elections but in the subsequent general elections held in 2013 and 2018, he didn’t submit the same and instead submitted a matriculation certificate.

The apex court had disqualified Rehman on December 4, 2018 after he was elected MPA from PK-32 Balakot-cum-Mansehra constituency, and banned him for holding any public office/taking part in the general elections for his entire life.