LAKKI MARWAT, April 5: Returning officer for PK-75, Lakki-II Zaeem Ahmad on Friday rejected nomination papers of JUI-F candidate and former MPA Malik Imran for possessing a fake and forged degree of B Com from Karachi University here.

Local lawyer Inamullah Khan had raised objections to Malik Imran’s nomination papers. Malik Imran had contested the 2002 elections for a provincial assembly seat and had submitted B Com degree from Karachi University along with his nomination papers.

According to the complainant, the Karachi University had declared the B Com degree of Malik Imran fake but the Sindh High Court annulled the declaration asking the university to look into the matter afresh. The university conducted a fresh inquiry and again found the degree fake.

Later, on the directions of the Sindh governor, who is also the chancellor of the university, a high-powered committee probed the matter and found the degree fake. The Peshawar High Court later disqualified Imran to be a member of the provincial assembly.

The returning officer heard arguments of the two sides and held that in light of the findings of high-powered committee and the judgment of Peshawar High Court, Malik Imran is the beneficiary of holding fake and forged degree and therefore, his integrity is not up to the mark. — Correspondent