SWABI, March 30: Sardar Ali, a member of the recently dissolved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, was convicted on Saturday by a local court of submitting a fake degree during the 2008 general elections and sentenced to three-year imprisonment and fined Rs5,000.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Naseem Khan said that the complaint against Sardar Ali had been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.

After the announcement of judgment, Sardar Ali was shifted to the district judicial lock-up.

Sardar Ali, who had contested the elections as an independent candidate from the PK-34 Swabi-IV constituency, had defeated Abdul Karim Khan of the then PPP-Sherpao. The party has been renamed as Qaumi Watan Party. Sardar Ali was himself part of the PPP-S but he decided to run as an independent candidate after being declined party ticket.

Graduation at the time was a precondition for taking part in elections and Sardar Ali along with his nomination papers had submitted a copy of BA degree.

On Jan 21, 2012, an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan filed an application in the Tehsil Chota Lahor Police Station, seeking registration of case against Sardar Ali under various sections of the Representation of People Act 1976 and Pakistan Penal Code.

On Jan 29, 2012, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Jehangir Khan, refused to confirm bail before arrest to Sardar Ali and he was detained.—Muqaddam Khan