17 February 2004	Tuesday	25 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the decision of the Sindh High Court Election Tribunal disqualifying PML-F MNA Mohammad Khan Junejo for possessing a fake BA degree.

The SC bench, comprising Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, upheld the tribunal's decision that there would be a by-election in NA-236 constituency Sanghar-III.

Advocate S.M. Zafar, who is a PML-Q senator, pleaded the case of Mr Junejo. Mr Junejo is the first parliamentarian to be disqualified by the Supreme Court for possessing a fake degree. Many other petitions are pending before the Supreme Court on the same issue.

Mr Zafar contended before the court that the tribunal had not decided the case on its merits as his client's evidence had not been recorded and examined properly.

He said when the case was at the initial stage, his client had moved an application before the election commission to transfer the case to some other tribunal as he had apprehensions that he would not get a fair trial.

Rasheed A. Rizvi, counsel for Fida Hussain Dero, the respondent, argued that the tribunal had set up a committee of University of Sindh that declared Mr Junejo's degree fake after examining the record.