Fake degrees: aviation division's 48 employees sacked, Senate body told

The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges on Wednesday disposed of a number of privilege motions moved by senators against the government officials. The committee which met here with Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini in the chair disposed of privilege motion moved by Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, the chairman Senate Committee on National Food Security & Research, concerning breach of privilege by Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman as he didn't implement the recommendations of the committee regarding proposed conversion of 1,400 acres of NARC land into residential and commercial plots.
CADD secretary Nargis Ghaloo sought one month time for implementing the committee's recommendations, saying the ministry had sent the recommendations to the Cabinet Division for consideration. The committee gave an extension of one month to the division. Discussing the privilege motion of Senator Farhatullah Babar that secretary aviation had provided wrong information concerning the matter that was raised in the Senate on January 17, 2017, the committee disposed of the matter after the Civil Aviation secretary informed the committee that action has been initiated against the officials responsible for providing incorrect information to the upper house of the parliament.
The secretary also informed the committee that the Aviation Division had initiated the process of verifying degrees of its employees following receiving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's directives in this regard.
Giving details of the verification process, he informed the Senate body that educational certificates and degrees of 13,470 of the total 16,980 employees had been verified, while the process of verifying degrees of remaining 3,510 employees was currently under way. He told that committee punitive action had been taken against 130 fake degree holders, 48 employees were sacked, whereas nine employees got them reinstated through courts' orders and 51 obtained stay order from the courts.
The committee settled the matter related to contempt of the house by the secretary of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms on February 20, 2017, by not briefing any other minister to respond the matter raised by Senator Sardar Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel on October 4, 2016 regarding unequal distribution of funds in the PSDP and non-release of funds allocated for small provinces.
The Planning, Development and Reforms ministry's secretary replied that he was on leave while the minister was busy with members of Legislative Assembly of AJK. "I have ordered an investigation against those who did not provide information sought by the senator," he added.