LAHORE, Sept 9: The Punjab University is allegedly being pressed by an influential member of the provincial cabinet to clear a former Gujrat MPA of an unfair means case (UMC) of BA examination.

Sources informed Dawn on Thursday that former MPA Mian Tariq Mahmood, who belonged to Danga (Gujrat district), had applied to the university for the BA degree. But the university examination cell found discrepancies in the candidate's intermediate transcript and registered a UMC against him.

Official sources said the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education had also confirmed the university that the FA degree was tampered with. The investigation conducted by the university also revealed that someone else had appeared in place of Mr Mahmood in the BA examination, they said.

The sources said the 'influential minister' had asked the university administration to clear the former MPA of the UMC, as he would have to contest the election in the future.

Giving in his pressure, the sources said, the university administration asked one of the UMC committees to exonerate him. However, they said, one of the members of the committee comprising four persons raised objections to both of the testimonials after going through the evidence.

The committee member resigned from the membership when she was forced to write in the former MPA's favour. However, its chairman refused to accept her resignation asking her to give her observation in black and white.

Subsequently, they said, another member also ruled against the MPA fearing that he might face any trouble in the future in case any inquiry was initiated on the issue. The case of the former MPA was pending with the vice-chancellor, they added.

According to the sources, Mr Mahmood had appeared before the committee and conveyed to the members in authority that they would have to clear him as he wanted the degree to contest election in future.