ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has withdrawn a letter it had sent to 249 lawmakers on Feb 7, asking them either to produce verified copies of their secondary and higher secondary school certificates or be ready to face criminal proceedings.

The letter evoked a strong reaction with members of both houses of parliament terming it an insult to elected representatives. After a strong protest against the letter by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza formed a house committee to resolve the issue.

Informed sources said that under a new arrangement, lawmakers would not be asked to produce copies of their certificates and the HEC would be responsible for doing it on its own.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, and Law Minister Farooq H. Naek, who was accompanied by members of the standing committee on election procedures. Higher Education Commission chairman Dr Javaid Leghari also attended the meeting.

According to a document signed by the Chief Election Commissioner, Law Minister and HEC chairman, it would be the responsibility of the HEC to verify the degrees submitted by candidates with their nomination papers.

In the event of a negative report from the HEC based on proof provided by the university concerned, the ECP will take action in accordance with law after issuing due notice to the candidate.

A participant of the meeting told Dawn that at the outset of the meeting the Chief Election Commissioner apologised to lawmakers for the harsh language used in the letter sent to them.

The HEC chairman was asked tough questions by the Chief Election Commissioner and the Law Minister. Justice Ebrahim asked the HEC chief that HEC’s role was merely that of a post office.

“What do you do, if the members of parliament are required to get copies of their educational certificates themselves. What is the purpose of your involvement,” the CEC was quoted as saying. Law Minister Farooq H. Naek urged the HEC chairman to stop what he claimed witch-hunt. He observed that the HEC should get degrees verified from universities concerned and report to the ECP if evidence of a fake degree was found.

When a participant pointed out that it was not possible for those who had passed matric in the 40s to retain copies of their certificates, the CEC said that his certificates were in Mumbai.