KARACHI, Aug 30: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and other respondents in a petition filed by Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto against an ECP order allowing merger of two factions of the party — Patriots and Sherpao group — under the name of the PPP.

Ms Bhutto and secretary-general Jehangir Badar challenged the ECP notification of June 17, 2004, granting merger pleas of the two factions under the constitution and provisions of the Election Order 2002.

The EC order has been described as violative of Articles 4 and 25 of the Constitution and Representation of People Act 1976 as it will mislead voters into voting for defectors and manipulators.

The petitioners said that under Article 218 of the Constitution the ECP has to ensure fair elections and electoral process and prevent deception and defrauding of people’s votes. However, they added, by passing that order the ECP had failed to perform its duties in accordance with the constitutional mandate.

The court has been requested to declare the ECP order illegal and restrain respondents from using the name of PPP for any purpose in any manner.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of PPP-Sherpao and Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal of PPP-Patriot have been named as respondents along with the ECP.

A division bench of the court issued notices to respondents for a date to be fixed by the office.—PPI