ISLAMABAD Two MNAs and a MPA resigned from their assembly seats to avoid any legal action after the Supreme Court on Thursday, while hearing petitions regarding their disqualification on the basis of fake degrees, observed to take strict action against them. The SC directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold by-elections in the NA-167 Vehari-I, NA-178 Muzaffargarh-III and PP-63 Faisalabad in accordance with the law. It issued these directives after it was apprised that Nazir Ahmed Jut, PML-Q MNA, Jamshed Dasti, PPP MNA and Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports and Muhammad Ajmal, PML-Q MPA, resigned from their seats on the issue of possession of fake degrees. The Secretary National Assembly has been directed to issue notification regarding NA-178 Muzaffargarh within three days. A six-members bench presided over by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chuadhry and comprising of Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi, Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday heard this case. After a futile exercise to satisfy the court regarding his academic career, PPP MNA Jamshed Dasti agreed to tender his resignation before the court, while in the beginning of routine proceedings of the apex court, MPA Mian Muhammad Ajmal tendered his resignation before the SC through his counsel Ashtar Ausaf to avoid consequences. On one occasion, Dasti told the wrong names of the first two Surahs of the Holy Quran. He could not respond appropriately to a query regarding the duration of his religious education certificate. On this, Justice Khilji Arif asked him, You brought disgrace to the entire House of National Assembly. Justice Tariq Pervez said, You cannot contest the by-elections if the court delivers verdict against you. Before the verdict, when the court gave him time to resign, Dasti expressed his willingness for the same. Later on, he announced his resignation. He was elected from NA-178, Muzaffargarh in 2008. The counsel of the petitioner, Tariq Khokar Advocate, informed the court that the elections were held in a free and fair manner but Jamshed Dasti, who won the elections, produced fake degree before the Election Commission of Pakistan prior to elections. When the court inquired from Jamshed Dasti regarding his stance, he said that his degree was not fake. But later the apex court found the Dastis stance untrue, as he could not provide the court very basic information regarding his degree courses. When Justice Ramday inquired him that how much chapters (Paras) and Surahs are in the Quran, he could not satisfy the court. The CJ inquired regarding Ilm-e-Tajveed, a basic course of his degree, he showed his complete ignorance in this regard. In the case of PML-Qs Nazir Jut, Deputy Secretary Education told the court that Jut failed in his MA exam. On this, the court called him. However, he had already handed over his resignation to the NA Speaker on Wednesday. He was elected from NA-167. Nazir said he resigned not because his degree but he did this because he had joined PML-N, adding that he would participate in the by-elections on PML- Ns ticket. Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the respondents PML-Q MPA Muhammad Ajmal (PP-63, Faisalabad) and others to appear before the court on Thursday with relevant academic record and certificates. The apex court also had directed the Registrar of Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia to depute an officer, who is well acquainted with the issue, besides asking the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to appear in person with relevant record showing an equivalence of the degree. It may be mentioned here that one of the counsels, mentioning the names of Muzaffarabad (AJK), Nodero (Sindh) and Madaris of Islamia University Bhawalpur, apprised the bench that there were certain places across the country from where fake degrees could be got easily.