In setback to PTI, GB CM disqualified for having fake degree

GILGIT/ISLAMABAD: The Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan has disqualified Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution for having a fake degree.

The verdict was announced by a three-member larger bench comprising Justice Malik Inayatur Rehman, Justice Jauhar Ali, and Justice Mushtaq Muhammad in response to a plea filed by Ghulam Shahzad Agha, a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party in the GB Assembly.

During the court proceedings, Khursheed’s lawyer Asadullah Khan argued that the mentioned articles do not apply to Gilgit-Baltistan. However, the complainant’s lawyer pleaded that these articles do apply to the region.

Khursheed joined the PTI in 2018 and was promoted to the position of Diamer-Astore’s divisional president. He was nominated for GB’s top post after PTI’s former GB president Jafar Shah died of Covid-19, as the region headed towards general elections in 2020. The News had previously reported on May 16 that the Higher Education Commission withdrew the equivalence letter for then GB Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed’s LLB degree after confirming its fraudulent nature.

In a letter dated May 12, the HEC informed Khursheed that the University of London had verified that the degree, transcript, and letter of certification provided by him were not issued by the university. Consequently, the HEC equivalence letter, dated September 23, 2022, was withdrawn or cancelled.

In its communication with Khalid Khursheed, the HEC disclosed that the University of London had confirmed the inauthenticity of the degree, certificate, and transcript enclosed in the sealed envelope submitted by Khursheed.

Sources familiar with the matter said that Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed would not only be immediately disqualified from his position but would also face criminal proceedings. The HEC had also blocked Khursheed’s name and CNIC on its web portal.

Meanwhile, PTI has decided to fight the no-confidence motion against CM Khalid Khursheed and termed the disqualification of GB’s chief minister as unconstitutional and an undemocratic attack on its elected government in Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to the PTI Central Media Department, PTI Chairman Imran Khan issued directives to the Gilgit-Baltistan parliamentary party, claiming that PTI enjoyed a clear majority in the GB Assembly. Moreover, the party’s parliamentary party convened its meeting in the region as well.

“A full political and parliamentary strategy will be formulated in the light of directives of the PTI chairman. Attempts to insult the mandate of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and rob the mandate will be strongly resisted. The dual invasion will be fought against the elected Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan at the same time,” it said.

The party will adopt a full-fledged legal strategy after a thorough analysis of the disqualification of GB chief minister. The plan and preparation for the no-confidence motion in the Gilgit-Baltistan Council will also be finalized and presented for the approval of the party chief.

The PTI’s parliamentary party will also complete the process of nominating a consensus candidate for the chief minister’s post. The chief ministerial candidate will be announced with the formal approval of Imran Khan.

A party spokesperson said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan will never accept robbery on their mandate, as the PTI has a decisive majority in GB and that the conspirators seeking to turn it into minority will fail.