court-hammer-scales-670
The image shows a judge’s hammer. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: Different lower courts in many cities took action on Tuesday against those legislators who had submitted false declarations regarding their nationality and educational qualifications, DawnNews reported.

Former federal minister Humayun Aziz Kurd was sentenced to one year jail and fined Rs 5000 for submitting fake degree to the election commission. Kurd was arrested from the courtroom following the sentencing, and police officials said he has been sent to the district jail city in Sibi, Balochistan.

Dera Ismail Khan's Additional district and sessions judge Justice Hayat Khan sentenced a former Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA), Khalifa Abdul Qayyum, to three-year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 over fake degree after which the former lawmaker was immediately sent to lock up in Central jail.

Qayyum was elected from PF-64 Dera city 1 in the 2008 elections as an independent candidate.

Earlier Khalif Abdul Qayyum's had claimed that the degree issued to him by the Ittahadul Maddaris Al Aarbia in Mardan was equivalent to MA Islamiat after objection related to the credentials of the seminary were raised by a committee supervising the verification of legislators` academic degrees.

Additional districts and sessions judge Tariq sentenced former Member of Provincial  Assembly (MPA) Javaid Iqbal Tarkai over possession and redeclaration of dual-nationality.

Javaid Tarkai allegedly held citizenship of Canada which he had neither declared nor relinquished and was elected from PF-32 Swabi II as an independent candidate defeating Awami National Party (ANP)'s candidate Ameer Rehman in the 2008 elections.

Courts also issued non-bailable warrants against Balochistan's former MNAs Nasir Ali Shah and Maulvi Haji Roziudding over the fake degree issue.

Nasir Ali Shah had recently joined the Balochistan National Party - Mengal (BNP-M) after being elected in the 2008 elections on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket.

Similarly Maulvi Haji Roziudding had joined the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) after contesting the 2008 election with the PPP.

Moreover the hearing over the case pertaining to fake degree possessed by former MPA of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Aqil Shah belonging to the Awami National Party (ANP), who was elected from PF-4, resumed at a court in Peshawar.

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