ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: A leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mir Imran Khan Bijarani, has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (EC) to disqualify MNA Salim Jan Mazari for possessing a “fake educational degree”.

Talking to newsmen at the PPP Central Secretariat here on Wednesday, Mr Bijarani said the National Alliance (NA) MNA from Jacobabad, Salim Jan Mazari, had no justification to attend the National Assembly session after declaration by the government itself that he possessed a degree, obtained from a “non- chartered” and unrecognised institution.

Mr Mazari had submitted a B.A. degree, issued by the International University of America (IUA), London, to the EC during the October elections. “This university is even not recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC),” said Mr Bijarani while distributing a letter of the Higher Education Commission. Mr Bijarani had contested the election against Mr Mazari.

The letter, issued by the HEC on November 14, states: “The International University of America, London, is a non-chartered and non-accredited institution of the UK. Therefore, the degrees awarded by the IUA are not recognized by the Government of Pakistan.”

Mr Bijarani said he himself visited the UK to collect proofs that Mr Mazari had a fake degree. The PPP leader said the officials of the “bogus” university had gone underground after closing their office in London fearing action by the government.

He said the governments of the UK, the US and Australia had also disowned the university. He also distributed copies of the letters written to him by higher education departments of the US, UK and Australia.

He said he had submitted all these proofs to the chief election commissioner and the chief justice of Pakistan. He said these proofs and the whole record had also been submitted to the Commonwealth, European Parliament, Amnesty International, Human Rights Commission and embassies of several countries in Islamabad.

Mr Bijarani had already filed an election petition against Mr Mazari soon after the elections.