ABBOTTABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday suffered a blow as its provincial Minister for Communication and Works Yousuf Ayub Khan was declared ineligible by the Election Tribunal for holding a fake degree.
Yousaf Ayub contested the general election on the PTI ticket from the provincial assembly constituency, PK-50 Haripur, and defeated former education minister Qazi Mohammad Asad by a close margin.
Qazi Asad had challenged the victory of Yousaf Ayub, who is the grandson of former president of Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan.
During proceedings at the Election Tribunal, it was argued that Yousaf Ayub “was not qualified to be elected or chosen as member of parliament or provincial assembly in terms of the provisions of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
It was also argued that Yousaf Ayub had submitted a BA degree of the University of Punjab while contesting the general election in 2002, but in the 2013 polls he showed his qualification as FA.It was contended that this act was a violation of Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution as he was not ‘righteous’, ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ in terms thereof.”
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) had sent his BA degree to the University of Punjab for verification following the instructions from the Election Commission. After the verification, Yousaf Ayub’s degree was declared a fake.
The Election Tribunal comprising Ziauddin Khattak in its judgment granted relief to the petitioner in the fake degree case and asked the Election Commission to hold fresh election on PK-50 Haripur.
Yousaf Ayub was among the few senior and experienced PTI lawmakers in the province as he had served as provincial minister in the past as well. He was given the important and lucrative portfolio of communication and works due to his seniority and status in the party. Yousaf Ayub had lost election to his traditional rival, Qazi Asad, in 2008 general election but he staged a comeback in the 2013 polls as the PTI candidate.
