SARGODHA: District and Sessions Judge Hamayon Imtiaz acquitted former PML-N MNA Syed Javaid Hasnain Shah of charges in a fake degree case.

He had been elected MNA on a PML-N ticket from NA-68, Sargodha-V, in the 2008 general elections.

The MNA’s bachelor degree was challenged by Mehr Akram Khan in the election tribunal of the Lahore High Court which disqualified Hasnain Shah after his degree was proved fake.

The election tribunal held the MNA ineligible when his degree was found fake which he had allegedly got by fraudulent means.

The judge had directed the Election Commission to hold fresh elections in the constituency within two months.

The record showed that at the time of elections, Javed Shah had placed on record a madressah sanad (degree) issued by Darul Uloom Muhammadia. It was brought into the notice of the election commission that the madressah was not affiliated with Waqaful Madaris Al Arabia.

During proceedings, a representative of Darul Uloom Muhammadia informed the court that it was not issued by the seminary.

Javaid Shah took the plea that since his degree was not termed fake or bogus rather it was termed invalid, he therefore could not be punished twice in one offence as he was already disqualified.

The judge accepted his plea and acquitted him of the charge.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2014