QUETTA, Aug 9: A two-member bench of the Balochistan High Court while dismissing a petition challenging the Madressah Sanad said that the Sanad being equivalent of matriculation certificate is a disputed issue which cannot be decided while sitting in constitutional jurisdiction.

The bench comprising Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani and Justice Metha Kelashnath Kohli further said that without recording the evidence “we are not inclined to probe into the matter at this stage”.

The court said that the petitioner had an alternative after the election by filing an election petition if respondent No1 (Maulvi Ali Mohammad) returned as a successful candidate on the nazim’s seat.

The petitioner, Wali Khan, challenged the Sanad of Maulvi Ali Mohammad, candidate for nazim in the Murgha Faqirzai union council, on the grounds that Sanad of respondent No1 was not equivalent of a matriculation certificate according to the notification of July 21 by the chairman, inter committee board, to contest the polls.

The court also decided on Tuesday that 48 petitions filed by the petitioners against the decisions of the returning officers or contesting candidates filed against each other to contest for nazim/naib nazim seats in the local bodies’ poll scheduled for August 18 and 25 respectively in the province.

The petitions that were allowed include those of Fateh Mohammad, Bushra Parveen, Abdul Hafiz, Mohammad Hussain, Moeen, Nasir Ahmed, Saleh Mohammad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Akhtar,

Wahab and Wazira Begum against the decision of returning officers.

However, it upheld the verdict of returning officers and dismissed the petitions of Mohammad Safar, Mehboob, Qayyum, Amanullah, Safar Ali, Ronald Rasul, Maula Bakhsh, Ali Bakhsh, Johnson Javed, Malik Mauladad, Azizullah, Fazal Karim, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Naeem.

The court issued notices to the parties concerned regarding the 22 petitions.