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KARACHI, June 27: A Sindh High Court election tribunal dismissed on Friday a PML-Q candidate’s petition for unseating of a PPP Parliamentarian MPA.
Miss Zaib, the petitioner, had alleged that Ms Sharfunninsa, elected to the Sindh Assembly on a seat reserved for women, was not a graduate at the time of filing her nomination papers.
Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, who constituted the election tribunal, observed that the petition suffered from a number of fatal flaws. The petitioner had failed to implead all the 133 contestants for the women’s seats as required by the Representation of People Act, 1976.
She also failed to sign and verify the petition, the affidavit and the documents annexed by her as mandated by the relevant provisions of the law. Her name appeared at serial number eight of the PML (Q) candidates’ list while only three contestants from that party could make it to the assembly.
There was no possibility of her election even if the only respondent impleaded by her suffered from some disqualification.
Meanwhile, another tribunal, comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani, adjourned the hearing of a petition against the election of Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar as MPA from PS-6 (Ghotki-II).
The petitioner had taken the plea that Mr Mahar had not done his graduation at the time of filing his nomination papers. When the CM’s counsel submitted documentary evidence in support of Mr Mahar’s eligibility, the petitioner’s counsel challenged its authenticity.
The tribunal pointed out that the petitioner had initially questioned the eligibility of the respondent but now that the latter had produced a certificate, he was assailing its authenticity. Further proceedings were adjourned to June 30.
DETENTION PLEA: A division bench of the Sindh High Court adjourned on Friday hearing of a petition moved against the detention of an MQM-Haqiqi activist.
Additional Advocate-General Qazi Khalid Ali submitted that detenu Asif Shahryar was not in unlawful confinement but had been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance for a month. The detention order was due to expire on June 29.
No lawyer was present for the petitioner, Mrs Rabia Shahryar, and the bench, which consisted of Chief Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Mushir Alam, adjourned the hearing to July 4. The petition said the detention was aimed at preventing Shahryar from participating in the June 23 bypoll in NA-255.
Meanwhile, an appeal moved by former PSO officer Iqbal Turabi and his wife, Najma Turabi, against their conviction by an accountability court was adjourned to a date in office for paucity of time.
The appellants were accused of amassing movable and immovable assets beyond known sources of their income. Iqbal was sentenced to undergo 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 95 million. Najma was awarded a five-year jail term and Rs 95 million in fine.
The appellate bench consisted of Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali and M. Mujibullah Siddiqui. Advocate Azizullah Shaikh is appearing for the appellants.
