The Hindu : 'Religious degree not graduation'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003

International

International

'Religious degree not graduation'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 30. In a verdict that could seal the fate of several members of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) National and Provincial Assemblies, the Peshawar High Court Tribunal has disqualified one of its Parliament members on the ground that his religious degree was not equivalent to graduation.

The Tribunal ruled on a petition that the qualification of the MMA National Assembly member, Ibrar Sultan, was not proper and terminated his National Assembly membership. The Tribunal has also ordered elections to fill the seat immediately. The member could contest the verdict in the Supreme Court.

The judgment should be a matter of serious consequence to several leading lights of the MMA as the Supreme Court admitted a constitutional petition challenging the educational qualifications of 65 MMA legislators, and issued notices to top leaders of the alliance.

Just before the October general elections, the President, Pervez Musharraf, made graduation as the minimum qualification to contest for the National and Provincial Assemblies. As a result, a number of veteran politicians found themselves out of the electoral race.

The Election Commission, however, had held that the equivalent of degrees given by Deen Madaris would be considered on a par with degrees awarded by universities. The move facilitated members of religious parties to contest the elections.

When the case came up at the hearing stage, the Attorney-General contended that allowing a person who was not qualified to be a member to remain a member of the legislative body amounted to committing "fraud with the constitution.''

The petitioner, in the apex court, is seeking disqualification of the MMA members on the grounds that their "sanads" issued by Tanzeemul Madaris were not equivalent to B.A. degree.

According to the petition, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, Maulana Samiul Haq, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri are prominent among those who are not qualified to become members of Assemblies.

The petitioner said the University Grants Commission had recognised the "sanad" of Shahadat Alimiya fil Arabia as equivalent to M.A. Islamiat only for teaching purpose and nothing else.

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