15 October 2004	Friday	29 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal petition against two Muttahida Qaumi Movement Members of the National Assembly, who won their seats in the May 12 by-elections in Karachi , after the petitioners sought time to submit additional documents regarding the violence that preceded the contest.

The MMA, represented by counsel Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry, requested the bench hearing the petition to order fresh elections for the two seats. The bench adjourned the proceedings for a date to be announced later.

Earlier, the petitioners had also requested the court to form a full-bench to hear the election matter. Advocate-General of Sindh Mansoor Alam Khan, along with Qazi Khalid, Assistant Advocate-General of Sindh, was also present during the hearing.

MMA candidates, Rashid Naseem and Qari Mohammad Usman, who had contested the by-elections in Karachi from NA-246 and NA-240, have challenged the Sindh High Court's direction to the Election Commission to declare their MQM rivals as the winners.

Unofficial results of the by-election had held MQM candidates, Nisar Ahmed Pahnwwar and Mohammad Abid Ali Umang, successful and the MMA candidates the runner-ups. The Election Commission, however, had suspended the official announcement of the results on reports of violence and irregularities during the elections.

An inquiry into the charges levelled by the contesting candidates against each other was also initiated by the Election Commission. The MMA and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had boycotted the inquiry. The Election Commission on June 9 declared the election on these two seats as void.