Shazia Marri’s Degree Challenge Dismissed After 13 Years
Irfan Ali
Shazia Marri’s Degree Challenge Dismissed After 13 Years
Karachi — The Sindh High Court has finally closed the chapter on a long-running controversy surrounding Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Shazia Marri. A petition seeking her disqualification over an alleged fake degree was dismissed after thirteen years, with the court ruling that under the Constitution, the authority to disqualify a Member of Parliament does not rest with the High Court.
The case had resurfaced multiple times over the years. Similar objections were raised before the Election Tribunal during the 2018 polls, but were rejected. In 2022, the Election Commission also dismissed challenges to Marri’s academic credentials. An appeal filed in the Supreme Court against the tribunal’s decision was withdrawn in 2023, leading to its dismissal.
The petitioner had alleged that Marri used the degree of another student with the same name from Karachi University’s 2002 batch, presenting it as her own. According to the claim, she declared herself a graduate while filing nomination papers in the 2002, 2008, and 2013 elections.
