Islamabad High Court Upholds Dismissal of Grade-19 Officer Over Fake Degrees

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court has upheld the dismissal of a Grade-19 government officer who secured public sector employment using fake academic degrees, dismissing his intra-court appeal.

In a judgment issued on July 1, 2026, a division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Azam Khan and Justice Inam Amin Minhas ruled that Wasim Afzal had committed fraud and forgery by obtaining and using fake academic qualifications.

According to the court, Wasim Afzal acquired fraudulent Bachelor’s and MBA degrees and used them to obtain government jobs. The court ordered him to return all salaries, allowances, and financial benefits received during his service.

The bench also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to initiate criminal proceedings against him.

The judgment stated that Wasim Afzal first obtained employment at SME Bank in 1993 using fake educational credentials. He later left the bank under the Golden Handshake Scheme in 2009 and, in 2011, secured a Grade-19 position in the Ministry of Labour and Manpower, later renamed the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, using the same forged qualifications.

The Islamabad High Court had previously declared his degrees fake in 2017 and ordered his dismissal from service. Following that ruling, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis issued notifications for his removal from office and the recovery of salaries and other official benefits.

The ministry has also instructed the FIA to proceed with legal action against the former officer in accordance with the court’s directives.