GUJRANWALA, April 1: Eight education department officials were suspended from service and issued show-cause notice by the executive district officer in spurious academic credentials scam on Saturday.

The officials, it is learnt, provided fake certificates to the people.

During the scrutiny of the documents of the candidates who had applied for recruitment, certificates of eight candidates were found fake. The district administration got registered FIRs against them.

It was revealed during interrogation that these fake degrees were provided by the officials of education department. The department conducted an inquiry against the officials and suspended them from service when they were found guilty.

Those who were suspended from service are superintendent of district education office (women) Mirza Muhammad Siddiq, office assistant Muhammad Mukhtar, Shahid Shah, junior clerks — Shahid Shams Jillani and Muhammad Azhar (Naushera Virkan), Muhammad Arshad (Ksamoki), Arshad, a primary schoolteacher, and deputy district education office (women) office driver Muhammad Sarwar.