HYDERABAD: Returning Officer for PS-73 (Jamshoro) Imran Ahmed on Wednesday accepted the nomination form of Syed Murad Ali Shah for the by-election in the constituency fallen vacant after resignation of Shah’s first cousin Abdul Nabi Shah.

The RO has, however, asked him to submit a certificate to show that he has renounced his dual nationality by Nov 11 when the election symbols are to be allotted to the contesting candidates.

The RO confirmed that he had accepted the form with directives to him for submission of his certificate issued to him in response to his application filed in the country where he had got the citizenship.

He said Shah had submitted an affidavit that he had renounced his citizenship of the foreign country.

“The certificate is not the requirement but still I have asked him to submit that certificate which he has perhaps submitted before the apex court as well,” he said.

Murad Shah confirmed that he had renounced his dual nationality and a certificate to this effect had been issued by the government concerned on July 18, 2013.

He said he was restrained from contesting polls in May last year through an order passed by then Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, contending that unless he produced a certificate, he would be considered a dual nationality holder.

Shah had resigned from the Sindh Assembly last year following the apex court’s ruling, directing the ECP to obtain affidavits from parliamentarians with regard to dual nationalities.

After resignation, he was appointed as adviser to the Sindh chief minister on finance and again contested by-elections on PS-73 and won it on Feb 18, 2013.

But afterwards assemblies were dissolved for May 11 polls.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2014