UGC okays Benazir degree

Published August 29, 2002

LARKANA, Aug 28: The returning officer for NA-204 (Larkana-I), Abdul Ghani Soomro, rejected on Wednesday the nomination papers of the chairperson of the PPP(SB), Ghinwa Bhutto, on the ground that she was not a graduate.

She had filed nomination papers to contest from NA-204 from where PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, has also filed nomination papers.

The returning officer rejected the papers after he got the reply from the director accreditation and coordination of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Pakistan.

The UGC said the mark sheets of the Technical Baccalaureate Part I issued by the president, directorate of examinations, Hanna Karam, Lebanon, was not equivalent to Bachelor’s degree of Pakistan.

The same returning officer also rejected nomination papers of Hafiz Ahmed Ali Abbasi, a candidate of the Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal, from NA-204 (Larkana-I).

BENAZIR: Meanwhile, it was learnt that the UGC had maintained that the degree of Benazir Bhutto, which she had submitted with her nomination papers, was equivalent to Master’s degree of Pakistan.

Earlier, the returning officer had given a two-page questionnaire having 66 questions to Ayaz Soomro, Benazir’s advocate, for verification of her degrees.

Soomro told Dawn on Wednesday that after receiving the fax from the UCG that it had accepted Benazir’s degrees, there was now no need to submit the questionnaire that had been sent to her in London.

The scrutiny of Benazir’s nomination papers for NA-207 (Larkana-IV) and NA-204 (Larkana-I) would be held on Aug 30 and Sept 1, respectively, in Ratodero and Larkana.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran’s new leader
Updated 10 Mar, 2026

Iran’s new leader

The position is the most powerful in Iran, bringing together clerical authority and political and ideological leadership.
National priorities
10 Mar, 2026

National priorities

EVEN as the country faces heightened risks of attacks from actual terrorists, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi...
Silenced march
10 Mar, 2026

Silenced march

ON the eve of International Women’s Day, Islamabad Police detained dozens of Aurat March activists who had ...
War & deception
Updated 09 Mar, 2026

War & deception

While there is little doubt that Iran is involved in many of the retaliatory attacks, the facts raise suspicions that another player may be at work.
The witness box
09 Mar, 2026

The witness box

IT is often the fear of the courtroom and what may transpire therein that drives many victims of crime, especially...
Asylum applications
09 Mar, 2026

Asylum applications

BRITAIN’S tough immigration posture has again drawn attention to the sharp rise in asylum claims by Pakistani...