29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, May 28: Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Friday a petition moved by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement candidate, Mohammad Farooq Qureshi, against the election of Abdul Rahman Rajput of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal from the Sindh Assembly constituency PS-45 (Hyderabad).

The MMA candidate had bagged 17,645 votes against 16,424 obtained by the MQM nominee. The latter challenged the election for violation of provisions of the Representation of People's Act, bogus voting on behalf of deceased and absent voters, faulty counting, partiality of election staff and use of religion and mosques by his rival for canvassing, representing his election symbol of 'Kitab' as the Holy Quran.

Dismissing the petition, Justice Laghari observed that it seems, from a bare perusal of the contents of the petition and the precise statement that the allegations of illegalities, irregularities and corrupt practices are vague and ambiguous.

No date, time or place of the commission of such practice or act has been mentioned. Not a single document has been produced to establish the averments made in the petition.

In his cross-examination, the tribunal observed, the petitioner admitted that no copy of the complaints claimed to have been lodged by him with the authorities concerned has been annexed.

He has also admitted that he has not mentioned either in the petition or in his affidavit-in-evidence any specific polling station allegedly shifted at the eleventh hour. No handbill or pamphlet to substantiate the use of religious slogans for canvassing by the respondent MPA has been annexed to the petition.

As for newspaper reports submitted along with the petition, they did not relate specifically to the respondent. The petitioner, the tribunal said, was not entitled to any relief. The petition was dismissed without any order as to costs.