LHC revokes minister stay order in fake degree case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday vacated a 2017 stay order given to Federal Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan against proceedings before an anti-corruption court regarding his fake graduation degree.

Justice Ayesha A Malik withdrew the stay order in light of repeated requests for the adjournments on behalf of the minister’s counsel. Khan had filed a petition challenging the jurisdiction of the anti corruption court to hear a case about his alleged fake degree of graduation. He had alleged that the trial court was holding proceedings against him at the behest of then government of the PML-N.

In 2012, the Anti-Corruption Establishment had lodged a FIR against Khan under sections 420, 468, 471, 218, 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code and under section 5(2) 47 Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 over charges of corruption and having fake diploma from Punjab Board of Technical Education.

During the Thursday’s hearing, the legal adviser of the technical board stated that the petitioner’s counsel had been delaying the proceedings by seeking repeated adjournments. He urged the court to withdraw the stay order. Justice Malik accepted the board’s plea and revoked the stay against the proceedings of the trial court and directed the counsel of both sides to come up with arguments on March 11.

Notice: The Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notice to Punjab Curriculum Textbook Board (PCTB) chairperson on a contempt petition against him for not including fundamental rights chapter in the textbooks of primary and secondary school education.

Justice Ayesha A Malik in 2015 had directed the chairman to hear the petitioner and other stakeholders and consider the issue of including fundamental rights chapter in the textbooks of primary and secondary school education. However, despite the lapse of three and a half years the order has not been complied with. Advocate Sheraz Zaka submitted that inclusion of fundamental rights chapter in the curriculum would create awareness among youths and children about their rights but no effort has been made to act upon the court order issued on April 08, 2015.