GUJRANWALA: The police on Friday sent former MNA Mudassar Qayyum Nahra behind the bars moments after District and Sessions Judge Tariq Iftikhar sentenced him to one-year imprisonment in a bogus degree case.

The verdict (including a minor fine) sent the former MNA’s supporters in frenzy.

Nahra contested the 2007 general elections for an NA-100 seat as an independent candidate and defeated PML-Q’s Rana Bilal Ijaz, son of former MNA Rana Ijaz Ahmad, with a huge margin. Later, he expressed his confidence in the leadership of the PML-N.

His electoral rival challenged his graduation degree in an election tribunal of the Lahore High Court. Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh on June 21, 2010 disqualified him and ordered by-election in the constituency. Nahra filed an appeal in the Supreme Court a three-member bench (led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry) of which upheld the election tribunal’s decision. The court also ordered registration of a case against him.

On the advice of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Civil Lines police registered a case against him on Aug 11, 2012 and also submitted charge-sheet in the sessions court.

The D&SJ recorded the statements of several witnesses during a year and a half and reserved the verdict two days ago after hearing arguments of both sides.

Friday’s verdict created uproar in court as the police arrested the convict amid resistance by his supporters who chanted slogans against the law enforcers and rival politicians.

The PML-N had awarded ticket to his brother, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, for the same seat in the 2013 general elections and he defeated former PPP MNA Tassadaq Masood and other aspirants.

Nahra said he would move the Lahore High Court against the verdict.