A large number of politicians in Pakistan report fake degrees while registering for elections. Isa Duadpota writes.

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Starting in the second quarter of this decade I wrote almost 20 articles highlighting institutions and the fake degree holders who held high positions in Pakistan.

The Chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Atta-ur-Rahman was provided evidence about people and institutions that were involved in this racket. He and the HEC turned a blind eye to the problem. The Election Commissioner did the same; he failed to respond to my two letters that asked for all parliamentarians be asked to have their degrees verified by the HEC.

This appeal has been repeated in a recent joint letter that friend Naeem Sadiq and I wrote to both the Supreme Court and the Election Commissioner. Neither has so far responded. The lack of responsiveness of the courts to public interest issues and the emasculation of their power by successive governments is a key impediment to Pakistan’s progress.

Today the issue has come to a boil, not because of the appearance of higher ethical standards but due to internal rivalries among those who seek power and their use of the media and the courts to expose the fake degrees of their potential rivals.

It is ironic that a deposed dictator unwittingly created a litmus test that has now exposed the crooked parliamentarians in Pakistan! We have now seen the smoking gun.

The question now remains whether the courts and the political system is willing to throw out forever all those who managed to enter parliament by duping the system.