Pakistan SC upholds legislator's disqualification

Pakistan's Supreme Court today upheld an Election Tribunal's decision to disqualify a provincial minister for possessing a fake educational degree.
In September, the tribunal had disqualified Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Communications Minister Yousuf Ayub Khan and ordered a bye-election on his seat.
Khan, the nephew of former Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan, had won polls on a Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf ticket from of Haripur constituency.
His rival, PML-N leader Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan, filed a petition with the Election Commission seeking Khan's disqualification.
Qazi contended that Khan had listed his qualification as BA in nomination papers filed for the 2002 general election and 2005 local government polls, but subsequently listed his qualification as intermediate for the 2013 general election.

The Punjab University has denied issuing a degree to Khan, Qazi told the tribunal. The Election Tribunal then disqualified Khan for violating provisions of the Constitution.
Khan appealed against the tribunal's judgement in the apex court, which today upheld his disqualification and dismissed his petition.