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KARACHI, Sept 29: The Sindh High Court adjourned to a date in office on Thursday Pakistan People’s Party chairperson and former premier Benazir Bhutto’s petition against the merger and registration of Patriot and Sherpao groups as PPP by the Election Commission at her counsel’s request.
Advocate Farooq H. Naek told a division bench, comprising Justices Ghulam Rabbani and Azizullah M. Memon, that he had no notice of the hearing and was not prepared to argue the petition. The bench granted his request for adjournment.
Citing the EC and federal ministers Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Rao Sikandar Iqbal as respondents, the ex-premier said the commission had no authority to entertain and accept the two splinter groups’ plea for registration as one party by the name of PPP. The commission was aware of the existence of PPP and PPP (Parliamentarians) but registered a new party with the same name without informing them.
The petitioner said the commission was mandated by the Constitution to hold free and fair elections but the impugned notification issued by it ran contrary to its mandate. It could mislead the voter into believing that the breakaway factions were the real PPP.
SHOW CAUSE: The Sindh High Court issued on Thursday a show cause notice for contempt to the federal interior secretary for his failure to explain why former navy chief Mansoorul Haq’s name was not removed from the exit control list despite a court order.
The notice was issued in pursuance of a division bench order, which said ‘an explanation of sorts’ furnished by an interior ministry section officer only repeated the earlier official assertions. Allowing Mr Haq to proceed abroad, the bench had directed the interior ministry through Deputy Attorney-General Nadeem Azhar and the National Accountability Bureau to explain their failure or omission to implement the court order.
NAB counsel Zaheer Ahmed Khan sought time for a written explanation while a section officer’s letter was produced on behalf of the interior ministry.
“In the circumstances, we would direct the secretary, ministry of interior, as well as section officer Mohammad Masood Akhtar to be present in the court personally on the next date of hearing (Oct 20) and show why appropriate proceedings for contempt should not be initiated against them”, the order passed by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro, said.
AUCTION SET ASIDE: Another division bench, comprising Justices Mujibullah Siddiqui and Khilji Arif Hussain, declared null and void auction of a vehicle by the customs authorities, directed them to take steps for its re-export as desired by its importer and refund the amount deposited by the auction purchaser within two weeks.
Petitioner Mehboob Jan submitted through Advocate Adnan Memon that due to financial constraints he decided to re-export the vehicle imported by him.
He applied to the customs authorities and the ministry of commerce for permission to re-export the vehicle. While his applications were pending, the customs authorities arbitrarily auctioned the vehicle.
The bench also asked the customs authorities to release a land cruiser impounded by them on payment of 60 per cent of import duty. Petitioner Rizwan Malik said he purchased the Karachi-registered vehicle from the German Consulate in the city. It was not imported and he was not liable to pay any duty or tax.
