Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister disqualified in fake degree case

slamabad, July 4

The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid on Tuesday in a case against him for obtaining a fake degree, media reports said.

A three-member larger bench headed by Justice Inayatur Rahman announced the reserved verdict over a petition seeking the CM's disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, The Express Tribune reported.

Notably, last April, Khurshid's Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree turned out to be fake, a year after he was appointed to the post, the report said.

Khurshid had acquired his degree from a network of diploma mills operating under the brand name Belford, but it doesn't actually exist, The Express Tribune reported.

He was entrusted with the top slot over his 'outstanding educational achievements', something even former Pakistan premier Imran Khan was misled into believing as he called him the ‘right choice’ last year.

Subsequently, the senior leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had come under heavy criticism in G-B for extending legal assistance to their political opponent in the fake degree case.

However, following his disqualification on Tuesday, a no-confidence motion was submitted against the CM in the Assembly Secretariat almost immediately.

There are reports that the opposition members have submitted a no-confidence motion to thwart the possible plan of the chief minister to dissolve the G-B Assembly, Express Tribune reported.

Sources have said that nine members have submitted the motion.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid's consultation is ongoing to dissolve the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.