HEC authorized to scrutinize MPs degrees: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD, July 23 : Pakistan Muslim League-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal hassaid that Higher Education Commission is authorized to scrutinize the degrees of parliamentarians and warned that the government wanted to close chapter of fake degrees.

In an interview on Friday, Ahsan Iqbal said that some degrees of PML-N members had also been declared bogus. However, there will be no shift in the PML-N's stance on the issue of fake degrees, he clarified.

He said that HEC was scrutinizing degrees of parliamentarians in accordance with rule and regulations. He condemned the statement given by Education Minister Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali about HEC that verification of the parliamentarians' degrees by the HEC is in violation of the constitution of the country.

He said that the central government with help of the Minister for Education was trying to close the chapter of scrutiny of degrees. "The trust of people over politicians would end by such steps of the government", he warned.

Ahsan Iqbal said that under the constitution, law is equal for everyone.

If common people had fake degree, they are awarded punishment, but why the parliamentarians having fakes degrees are being saved, he questioned.

He said that parliament was supreme and can summon every member for inquiry, therefore, the Standing Committee on Education can also summon the Education

Minister for his statement, he maintained.

Ahsan Iqbal said that Education Minister should avoid creating hurdles in way of verification of degrees so that transparent process of verification of parliamentarians' degrees could continue.

To a question, the PML-N leader said that his party would never support fake degrees holders and the process of verification of degrees should reach to its logical end. He said the parliamentarians having fake degrees had deceived the people and political parties in general election.

Ahsan Iqbal demanded a firm action against them should be taken like one which was usually taken against common people according to rules and regulations.