ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (LHC) Tuesday cancelled the notifications issued earlier to suspend chief of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Nadir Tariq Malik and appoint a new acting chairperson, DawnNews reported.

The issue caused a stir early on Tuesday when the government sacked the chairman of Nadra from his office and handed over the chairmanship to Director General Brigadier (retd) Zahid Hussain in Sindh.

Sources informed that the chairman Nadra Tariq Malik was to brief the Election Tribunal on the recounting of votes of NA-118 in Lahore. He was also under pressure not to give the briefing.

Meanwhile, Malik challenged his termination and requested an early hearing in the IHC through Advocate Babar Sattar

Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi held the hearing as requested by the Nadra chairman and Malik maintained that he was being suspended without any explanation as six months were remaining in his three-year contract.

The leader of the opposition Khurshid Shah said that Chaudhry Nisar announced the checking of thumb prints in 48 constituencies and that Malik should remain in office thumb-print verification is completed.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari said the termination was the federal government's attempt to cover up rigging in the elections.

The notice regarding cancellation of earlier sent notifications suspending the Nadra chief and appointment of a new acting chairperson was issued to the Federal government, present chairman Nadra and the Election Commission of Pakistan.