May 20, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 19: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing of a petition challenging academic qualification of 65 legislators belonging to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal till June 12, as the petitioner sought more time to amend his petition.

The petitioner, Dr Aslam Khaki advocate, requested the court to allow him more time to amend his petition as it had come to his knowledge that more MNAs and senators had questionable educational degrees.

Attorney-General Makhdoom Ali Khan was present in the court along with record of various PLDs. He, however, did not say any thing on the subject for which he was summoned by the court.

The court had taken up the petition within 48 hours of its filing and had summoned the AG on one day notice, but on the last two hearings it was adjourned to comparatively long dates.

Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, after consulting four other members of the bench, announced that the case would now be taken up on June 12. The other members of the bench were Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Qazi Mohammad Farooq, Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal and Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi.

Later, talking to newsmen, Dr Aslam Khaki said it had come to his knowledge that legislators from different political parties, including the ruling party, were carrying degrees of dubious nature.

According to his information, degrees of Federal Labour Minister Abdus Sattar Laleka, MNA Amjad Warriach of PML-J and PML-Q MNA from Bhakkar Nasrullah were dubious. He said these were only some of the names and his amended petition might carry more such names.

He said it was wrong to allege that he was a surrogate petitioner and added that he had been filing such cases in the past as well. He claimed he was the first to challenge the Federal Shariat Court decision of declaring all forms of interest-based banking as un-Islamic.

Even the government was afraid of the religious lobby and filed an appeal only on the last day of the six-month period given for filing of appeal, he added.