KARACHI, Aug 16: The Sindh High Court continued to resolve legal disputes among candidates in the run-up to the first phase of local government elections on Tuesday. A bench, comprising Justices Ghulam Rabbani and Azizullah M. Memon, dismissed a petition by Ehsan Ali against his rival in the Bula Khan union council, Dadu. The petitioner alleged that he objected to his rival Kalu Khan’s nomination as the matriculation certificate annexed by him was ‘bogus’. The objection was, however, rejected by the returning officer. The allegation was contested by the respondent, who produced a copy of his certificate.

Another division bench, consisting of Justices M. Mujibullah Siddiqui and Khilji Arif Hussain, allowed petitioner Khudadad Khan to contest the poll for the office of nazim of union council-I, Nawabshah. He said his papers were wrongfully rejected for alleged default of a loan said to have been obtained by him from a co-operative society. The bench observed that there was no notice of default against the petitioner and he was entitled to contest the poll.

Shabbir Ahmed’s petition against acceptance of his rival Javed Iqbal papers for the office of nazim of union council-VI, Nawabshah, was dismissed.

The bench observed that the issue raised by the petitioner could not be ascertained without going into questions of fact. The court could not probe or settle factual controversies in exercise of its extraordinary jurisdiction.