KARACHI: Tariq among four allowed to contest election
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 20: The District Returning officer (DRO), Agha Rafique Ahmad, on Tuesday disposed of all nine appeals filed against acceptance and rejection of nomination papers. In the ongoing third phase of the local government poll, indirect voting will be held on Oct 6 to elect nazims for city district and for district, town and tehsil as well as councillors against reserved seats for women, peasants/workers and minorities.
Wednesday is the last day for withdrawal of nominations. The day will also mark allotment of election symbols to candidates.
The DRO rejected the appeal filed against acceptance of nomination papers of Tariq Hasan, former naib nazim of Karachi city district. Mr Hasan was allowed to contest the election against reserved seats of labour in the city district council.
The appeal was filed by Mian Shaban Hussain who stated that Mr Hasan had been naib nazim of the city district from August 14, 2001 to June this year and had been availing the protocol of the office even now as such he did not fall in the category of peasants/workers. Therefore, the appellant said, Mr Hasan was not entitled to contest the election against seats reserved for peasants/workers.
According to Syed Saeed Hasan Zaidi, who represented the appellant, his client would file a writ against rejection of his appeal.
Out of other appeals filed against rejection of nomination papers by the candidates, the appeals of Abdul Razzaq, Rana Safdar and Mangat Hussain were allowed.
Mr Razzq was allowed to run for the post of the nazim of Lyari town. Likewise, Rana Safdar was allowed to contest for the post of the nazim of Landhi town. Mangat Hussain was also permitted to remain in the contest for seats reserved for labour.
However, the remaining five appeals were rejected. These appeals pertained to Ashfaq Ahmad, an aspirant for the post of nazim of Bin Qasim town; Ms Afroze Jan, a candidate for seats reserved for women; and Kanga Ram, an aspirant against the reserved seat of minorities. The rest of such appellants were Javed Ahmad, a candidate against peasant/worker seat of the city council, and Ms Salma Imam, a candidate against reserved seats of women in Gulshan Town.
