Like the October 2002 general elections, minimum qualification for the candidates contesting the next month's general election for the national and provincial legislatures is also graduation.
During the scrutiny of the nomination papers, a number of instances have surfaced in which the degrees attached with the nomination papers by the prospective candidates have been found to be fake. This is indeed quite deplorable.
What is all the more shameful and condemnable in all fairness is the bitter fact that the degree presented by the former federal health minister Muhammad Naseer Khan has been found to be fake on the basis of which hisa nomination papers from NA-115 Narowal have been rejected.
This should not be allowed to go without taking any further punitive action against the defaulter. After all, he has held the federal minister's post, drawn hefty salaries and enjoyed the privileges and perks for five years.
In order to ensure that such frauds are not committed at least by those who intend to represent the people of their constituencies at the national and provincial levels in future, it is suggested that the former federal health minister should be asked to refund all the salary and emoluments received during last five years and he should also be disqualified from contesting any election in future.
This would set an example for other intending defaulters and also go a long way in establishing the principle of good governance which is one of the professed top priorities of President Pervez Musharraf. This ugly incident should not be allowed to go past without due punishment.