MPs in Pakistan convicted for faking academic qualifications
A post back in 2010 noted the planned check of over 1,000 politicians’ academic credentials. A law passed a decade ago requires all MPs to hold degrees and, according to a recent University World News report, it does seem that some have been less than totally honest about their academic records:
Following an order from the top court in Pakistan, lower courts have started convicting former members of parliament who contested the 2008 elections using fake degrees. Several politicians have been given jail sentences, and there are numerous cases now before lower courts, with judgments due soon.
Holding a degree qualification was a precondition for contesting the 2008 poll.
The cases were lodged against the lawmakers after Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 28 March ordered the lower judiciary and the election commission to take stern action against former MPs with fraudulent degrees, and to stop them from getting elected again in polls to be held on 11 May.
The apex court’s orders were based on its earlier verdict, passed in June 2010, which ordered the Higher Education Commission and the Election Commission of Pakistan, or ECP, to verify the degrees of all 1,095 parliamentarians and members of provincial assemblies.
The remainder of the story indicates that some of those convicted have received very small fines. Others have simply absconded. It is a rather strange law which does seem to encourage such behaviour.
There was a recent example which we wrote about (http://bit.ly/14WFpAD) of a senior NHS professional who claimed to hold awards which she did not. It is amazing where you can get with a fake degree!
It appears that the problem is not just limited to Pakistan. Russia too has big problems…
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fake-doctorates-russia-to-crack-down-on-academic-fraud/article4439286.ece
We get a lot of requests from our members to check that qualifications are legitimate and it is not just the “odd” academic or rogue NHS professional who claim to hold degrees that are not recognised. This is s really and current issue.
You can find out how to spot fake degrees on the UK NARIC blog http://bit.ly/RWUI54
Just spotted your post after analysing UK MPs’ degrees by subject area and comparing them to ’12/13 students. Apologies for the self-promotion, but this might be of some interest to others that end up here: http://subtleengine.org/2014/06/28/mps-degrees-what-do-they-know/