Multan:
A Session Court in Multan has awarded the 17-year prison period to the former mna, Jamshed Dasti after finding him guilty of using a false academic degree to contest elections.
The case initiated by the Electoral Commission in Pakistan (ECP) claimed that Dasti contested the general elections in 2008 on the basis of a fraudulent bachelor’s degree. Sindh Higher Education Commission confirmed “It had no registration of that degree”.
The prosecution claimed that Dasti had violated articles 62 and 63 by the Constitution by hiding the truth about his qualifications and was therefore not entitled to have a public office. He was selected from NA-178 Muzaffargarh in 2008, but was later disqualified when the degree was declared invalid.
Despite previous disqualification, Dasti was re-elected at the 2024 election from NA-175 Muzaffargarh. However, he was facing disqualification again, this time to submit a false intermediate certificate.
In July 2025, the ECP Dasti disqualified after a reference sent by the National Assembly’s speeches along with two petitions seeking his disqualification.
A three-member ECP bench, led by Member (Sindh) Nisar Durrani, heard a petition filed by Ameer Akbar who raised concerns about Dasti’s assets, obligations and academic credentials. During the consultation, the KP member of ECP questioned whether Dasti had not revealed assets and examined the authenticity of his listed FA qualification.
The petitioner’s lawyer informed the Commission that Dasti False had declared an intermediate qualification, while in reality he had not even completed matriculation, but submitted a matric certificate issued from the Karachi Board.
The ECP determined in favor of the petitions, approved two disqualification petitions and ordered criminal cases against Dasti. Litigation is being pursued in accordance with Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution and sections 4, 9 and 137 of the Electoral Act, 2017.
In May 2025, the ECP Education Board in Karachi ordered to verify Dasti’s academic credentials, which further intensified the legal pressure on the controversial politician.
Dasti’s political career, once rooted in populist rhetoric and independent politics, now appears to be destroyed by repeated legal setbacks and disqualifications linked to counterfeit education qualifications. Litigation is undergoing further consequences expected in the light of the recent beliefs.
