KARACHI: Alliance man allowed to contest Senate polls
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Feb 22: Asif Ali Khan Jatoi of the National Alliance will be able to participate in the Senate elections on Monday by virtue of an interim order passed by the Sindh High Court on Feb 10.
The interim order was passed by a division bench, comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Wahid Bux Brohi, subject to Mr Jatoi’s proving his academic credentials to the satisfaction of the court.
The objection to his candidature was raised by the PPP’s Syed Zafar Ali Shah and was upheld by the returning officer. His appeal against the RO’s decision was dismissed by Justice M. Ashraf Laghari as a member of the Election Commission of Pakistan. The dismissal was challenged by the candidate through a writ petition in the high court.
The petition came up for hearing before another division bench, comprising Justices Mohammad Roshan Essani and Anwar Zaheer Jamali, on Friday and Mr Jatoi relied on a certificate from the University of South California’s School of Communications saying that he had completed the formalities for graduation as far back as 1991.
Advocate Gohar Iqbal Shah, Zafar Ali Shah’s counsel, argued that the petitioner could not be considered a graduate in the absence of a degree.
Appearing for the petitioner, Barrister Faisal Agha maintained that the requirements of the law were met by the certificate produced by him and he could not be put to a more strict proof.
The division bench could not finally dispose of the petition by Saturday evening. Unless an adverse order is announced before 10am on Monday, Mr Jatoi will participate in the Senate election subject to the final judgment of the court.
Petitions moved by two other candidates provisionally allowed to contest the polls, Ayaz Malik and Ali Hassan Chahniyo, are fixed for hearing on Feb 27. Their academic certificates were also not accepted by the EC because they were issued by foreign institutions not accredited to the University Grants Commission of Pakistan.
