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KARACHI, Aug 1: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices in an application seeking an interim order to restrain the Sindh PML(Q) president, Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, from performing his functions as railways minister.
The application was moved by a number of Sindh PML(Q) office- bearers who have challenged Mahar’s assumption of government and party offices simultaneously which, they maintain, is repugnant to the Political Parties Order of 2002 and the ruling party’s own constitution.
The bench, which consisted of justices Zahid Kurban Alavi and Zia Perwez, issued notices to the respondents, for Aug 12, when the main petition is also fixed for hearing.
ELECTION PETITION: A Sindh High Court election tribunal fixed Sept 4 for final arguments after receiving the result of recount of ballots cast in the October 2002 elections in NA-239 (Karachi-I).
An election petition has been moved by PPP candidate Iftikhar Hussain, who lost to MMA’s Qari Gul Rahman by about 537 votes. Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery, who constituted the tribunal, ordered recounting of votes by the election officials at the petitioner’s request.
According to the petitioner, he would have won the seat had over 1,320 disputed votes been included in the count.
The Sindh joint election commissioner produced the recount record along with the ballots cast. The disputed votes were carried in a separate bag. The tribunal brought the report on record and returned the ballot bags to the election official for production as and when called for.
Advocate Sajjad Ali Shah, who replaced Khwaja Sharaful Islam as the MMA MNA’s counsel on Friday, sought time for preparing his brief and the tribunal adjourned further proceedings to Sept 4. Advocate Khwaja Naveed Ahmed represented the petitioner.
ORDER TO ICA: A division bench of the Sindh High Court asked the Institute of Chartered Accountants on Friday to submit its reply to the allegations levelled by a petitioner against it on Aug 13 and restrained it from proceeding against the petitioner in the meanwhile.
Petitioner Ghulam Haider, a chartered accountant, alleged through advocate Syed Sami Ahmad that he was being victimized by the ICA for welcoming a government move to equitably distribute accountancy business among the various firms and practitioners.
Advocate I.H. Zaidi appeared for the institute and sought time to file a counter-affidavit. The bench, which consisted of Justices Zahid Kurban Alavi and Zia Perwez, allowed his request and asked him to file a reply by Aug 13 when the petition would again come up for hearing.
