Sports committee head resigns over fake degree

The head of Pakistan's parliamentary sports committee has resigned for allegedly holding a fake degree in Islamic studies.

Jamshed Dasti, chairman of national assembly standing committee on sports, tendered his resignation to a six-member larger bench of the supreme court, local media reported Friday.

Leading newspaper The News said Dasti failed to answer a volley of questions from the court regarding his education when he appeared Thursday.

"He (Dasti) remained unable to tell the court even about the duration of the (Islamic) course," The News reported.

Dasti has been critical of the working of several Pakistan sporting bodies _ especially the Pakistan Cricket Board.

He summoned PCB officials several times and even questioned then Pakistan team captain Younis Khan over allegations of match-fixing during the Champions Trophy last year.

Dasti contested the general elections in Feb. 2008 from the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab province. Dasti's electoral opponent had challenged his education credentials in supreme court.

The court told Dasti if he did not resign he would not be able to contest upcoming by-elections.