Islamabad, July 15, 2025: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified Member of the National Assembly Jamshed Dasti for submitting a fake educational degree, declaring his seat vacant and directing legal proceedings under election laws.
The decision came as the ECP’s three-member bench, headed by Member (Sindh) Nisar Durrani, issued a written verdict approving two disqualification petitions, including a reference filed by the National Assembly speaker.
The ECP ruling stated that Dasti had “made false statements and incorrect declarations,” constituting corrupt practices under Sections 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017, and punishable under Section 174. The Commission also invoked Section 190(2) for initiating further legal action in accordance with relevant provisions of law.
Dasti, who was elected from NA-175 (Muzaffargarh) in the last general elections, had been under scrutiny for allegedly misrepresenting his academic qualifications. In May, the ECP had ordered the verification of his educational credentials from the Karachi Education Board.
Petitions were filed by Ameer Akbar, Zulfiqar Dogar, and Sardar Faizul Hassan under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution and Sections 4, 9, and 137 of the Elections Act, 2017. The core allegation was that Dasti falsely claimed to possess an FA (Intermediate) qualification, despite not having completed his matriculation.
During hearings, the petitioner’s counsel informed the bench that Dasti’s matriculation certificate from the Bahawalpur Board, as well as his BA and FA degrees from Bahawalpur University, had been declared fake. In response, Dasti submitted a matric certificate from the Karachi Board, which is now also under question.
The ECP’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) member observed during proceedings that the Commission had the legal authority to disqualify Dasti based on the submission of forged documents.
With the disqualification now formalized, the ECP has not only unseated the MNA but also paved the way for criminal proceedings, reinforcing the electoral watchdog’s commitment to ensuring integrity and transparency in the democratic process.
