Gazoo's note: Something is cooking there folks. Why would a former top man with election commission go to meet the CJ amid the fake degree cases? Is he carrying a 'safarish' not to pursue the case any more? Allah only knows.
CEC meets CJ amid fake degree controversy By Nasir Iqbal
Sunday, 01 Aug, 2010
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Hamid Ali Mirza called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.APP
ISLAMABAD: As the controversy over the verification of degrees of legislators rages, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday.
Although an official handout said it was a courtesy call during which they discussed judicial and institutional matters, legal observers are attaching great significance to the meeting, especially in the wake of a recent Supreme Courts verdict directing the Election Commission to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA) 1976.
The matters of mutual interest definitely include the hot topic revolving around fake degrees, a source privy to the meeting said.
Only the other day, the apex court had ordered initiation of proceedings against a legislator from Balochistan under the law laid down in the cases of Rizwan Gill and Mian Najeebuddin, which required the ECP to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the RPA 1976.
The law defines corrupt practices and describes false statement by a person in respect of his educational qualification as wrongdoing.
In the verdict, the court had held that the ECP had a demanding duty to ensure not only that elections were fair and honest; that no corrupt practices were practised, but also that the individuals who had been declared disqualified to enter legislative institutions should not be allowed to break into parliament.
The source said that the ECP under the Constitution was an independent body and it was its sole duty to work out a way to deal with the fake degrees issue and to implement the Supreme Courts verdict in letter and spirit.
The commission is likely to send cases of fake degree-holders to district and sessions courts through registrars of high courts.
Earlier, the ECP had taken the position that it could not take action against any lawmaker unless the Senate chairman or speakers of the national and provincial assemblies sent a reference against lawmakers.
CEC meets CJ amid fake degree controversy By Nasir Iqbal
Sunday, 01 Aug, 2010
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Hamid Ali Mirza called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.APP
ISLAMABAD: As the controversy over the verification of degrees of legislators rages, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza called on Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday.
Although an official handout said it was a courtesy call during which they discussed judicial and institutional matters, legal observers are attaching great significance to the meeting, especially in the wake of a recent Supreme Courts verdict directing the Election Commission to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA) 1976.
The matters of mutual interest definitely include the hot topic revolving around fake degrees, a source privy to the meeting said.
Only the other day, the apex court had ordered initiation of proceedings against a legislator from Balochistan under the law laid down in the cases of Rizwan Gill and Mian Najeebuddin, which required the ECP to deal with the matter under Section 78 of the RPA 1976.
The law defines corrupt practices and describes false statement by a person in respect of his educational qualification as wrongdoing.
In the verdict, the court had held that the ECP had a demanding duty to ensure not only that elections were fair and honest; that no corrupt practices were practised, but also that the individuals who had been declared disqualified to enter legislative institutions should not be allowed to break into parliament.
The source said that the ECP under the Constitution was an independent body and it was its sole duty to work out a way to deal with the fake degrees issue and to implement the Supreme Courts verdict in letter and spirit.
The commission is likely to send cases of fake degree-holders to district and sessions courts through registrars of high courts.
Earlier, the ECP had taken the position that it could not take action against any lawmaker unless the Senate chairman or speakers of the national and provincial assemblies sent a reference against lawmakers.
