The list of the lawmakers possessing genuine degrees that was recently handed over by the HEC to Election Commission (EC) contained the names of 31 Senators, 72 members of the National Assembly and 144 members of the provincial assemblies.
These lawmakers are among the 294 politicians whose educational qualifications have been scrutinised so far.
Prominent among the Senators who were given a clean chit were Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Privatisation Minister Waqar Ahmad Khan, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri, Senate Chairman Farooq H. Naek, Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali, PML-N Chairman Raja Mohammad Zafarul Haq, Chairman of PML (like-minded) Salim Saifullah Khan, S.M. Zafar (PML-Q), Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi (JUI-F), Prof Khursheed Ahmad (JI), Ilyas Ahmad Bilour (ANP), and Mian Raza Rabbani and Faisal Raza Abidi (PPP).
Other members of the Senate who were found to be holding genuine degrees included Sughra Imam, Safdar Ali Abbasi, Shahid Hasan Bugti, Ghufran Khan, Mushahidullah Khan, Haroon Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Semeen Siddiqui, Ahmad Ali, Dr Khatumal Jeewan, Shirala Malik, Abdul Rasheed, Mohammad Saleh Shah, Kalsoom Parveen, Hafiz Rasheed Ahmad, Rana Bhagwandas Chawla and Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada.
Education Minister Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali's name was on top of the list of MNAs with genuine degrees. Other members of the cabinet on the list were Minister for Labour and Manpower Dr Farooq Sattar, Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Amad Khan, Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Nabeel Ahmad Gabol, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali.
Other members of the National Assembly given a clean chit included JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, former information minister Shehrbano (Sherry) Rehman, former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ayaz Amir and Khurram Dastgir Khan (PML-N), Marvi Memon, Zobeida Jalal and Nousheen Saeed (PML-Q), Fouzia Wahab, Dr Azra Fazal Pecheho and Nafeesa Shah (PPP), and Haider Abbas Rizvi and Khushbakht Shujaat (MQM).
The names of Moonis Elahi and Shahan Malik were on the list of 37 members of the Punjab Assembly who were declared to be possessing genuine degrees.
The 71 members of the Sindh Assembly found to be having genuine degrees included Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, provincial ministers Shazia Marri, Shoaib Bokhari, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui, Syed Faisal Ali Sabzwari, Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Nargis N.D. Khan and former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim.
The 15 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly whose names were on the list were Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, Ghani Dad Khan, Mehmood Alam, Karamatullah Khan, Said Rahim, Wajid Ali Khan, Waqar Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Ayub Khan, Muhammad Zahir Shah Khan, Saleem Khan, Mahmood Zaib Khan, Mohammad Humayun Khan, Noor Sahar, Dr Yasmin Jabeen and Makhdumzada Syed Murid Kazim Shah.
The 21 members of the Balochistan Assembly cleared by the HEC were Capt (retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Tariq Hussain Bugti, Sardar Mohammad Aslam Bizenjo, Abdul Rehman, Engineer Basant Lal Gulshan, Dr Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, Asfandyar Khan, Mohammad Ismael Gujar, Jan Ali Changazai, Bibi Zarina, Husun Bano, Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Mir Amanullah, Mir Mohammad Sadiq Umrani, Mir Salim Ahmad Khosa, Syed Ahsan Shah, Masood Ali Khan, Zafarullah Khan Zehri and Mir Mohammad Bakhtiar Khan Domki.
The last name on the list is that of former provincial minister Rubina Irfan. Interestingly, the HEC had included her name in the list of 47 lawmakers holding fake or invalid degrees as well.
The degrees of hundreds of legislators are still being scrutinised, not because their degrees are suspect but mainly because the accompanying documents required were either missing or incomplete.
The accompanying documents required are matric and intermediate certificates.
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