By IANS,
Islamabad : In a major embarrassment for the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, it has emerged that one of its parliamentarians has a fake degree and can’t even write his name in English – and that this has been suppressed for the past two years.
Muhammad Tariq Tarar, a member of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, is the parliamentary secretary in the environment ministry. He is a close relative of Food and Agriculture Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal.
Quoting an investigation report, Online news agency said Wednesday Tarar had contested the February 2008 general elections on the basis of a BA degree he claimed to have obtained from Multan’s Bahaudin Zakria University.
This was challenged by the Punjab province Anti-Corruption Bureau, which found that Tarar used fake photographs for appearing in the exam.
After a laboratory test of the photograph, the bureau wanted to take action against Tarar but he obtained a stay order from the Multan bench of the Lahore High Court.
The bench has now set April 19 for the hearing and has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to appear in court with the relevant records.
Under the Pakistani constitution, only those with a BA degree or higher can contest elections to the national and provincial assemblies.