ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday decided to get the educational certificates of Jamshed Dasti, a PTI-backed lawmaker, verified from the Karachi boards.

The decision was taken by a three-member bench of the ECP headed by member from Sindh Nisar Ahmed Durrani during the hearing of petitions seeking disqualification of Mr Dasti, who was elected from NA-175, Muzaffargarh, in the last year’s general elections.

The petitions had been filed against him by Ameer Akbar, Zulfiqar Dogar and Sardar Faizul Hassan.

One of the petitioners’ lawyers claimed that Mr Dasti’s educational certificates were fake. The bench heard the petition of Ameer Akbar alleging concealment of assets and liabilities against Jamshed Dasti.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa member of the ECP inquired whether the MNA had any property that the Election Commission had not been informed about? To which, the petitioner’s lawyer took the stand that Mr Dasti had written FA qualification on his nomination papers while he had not completed his matriculation.

He went on to claim that the Bahawalpur University had declared his BA and FA certificates fake. He claimed to have completed his matriculation from Bahawalpur Board, but that too was fake.

The petitioner’s lawyer further said that Jamshed Dasti had just submitted his matriculation certificate from the Karachi board in response, to which the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa member said that the Election Commission has the power to disqualify him.

While giving arguments, Jamshed Dasti said that he completed his matriculation and FA from the Karachi board, to which the bench said that the Election Commission will get the matriculation and FA verified from the Karachi boards.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2025