KARACHI, Dec 19: All the writ petitions challenging election tribunal decisions will be heard by a three-member bench of the Sindh High Court on Dec 24.

Almost all the official and private respondents appeared on Wednesday and obtained copies of the 12 writ petitions filed against rejection or acceptance of nomination papers by the election tribunals. Election commissioner Ataur Rehman emphasised the urgency of early disposal as ballot papers were carrying the candidates’ names and their symbols were due to be printed.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro and Justices Mrs Qaiser Iqbal and Mahmood Alam Rizvi ordered that notices be served on all the respondents promptly and published in newspapers also to avoid any delay.

The petitions question the two high court tribunals’ orders for or against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers of the candidates. Controversies mainly involve bank loan default and/or absence of genuine graduation degrees.

Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza questions his disqualification for alleged involvement and for being declared an absconder by an anti-terrorism court in the murder case of former Pakistan Steel Mills Chairman Sajjad Hussain.

Dr Fahmida Mirza (NA-225, Badin-II and PS-57, Badin-III) seeks disqualification of Syed Ali Bakhsh Shah alias Papu Shah and his wife, Yasmin Shah, for producing bogus degrees. Rival candidates from Naushehro Feroze seek the ouster of Ghulam Murtza Khan Jatoi and Masroor Khan Jatoi on the same ground.

Pir Mazharul Haq (PS-74, Dadu) says that he should not remain ineligible after his acquittal in a case by the Supreme Court on Dec 10 irrespective of any disqualification on account of his conviction in accountability case on the date of filing his nomination papers.

Saeed Ghani prays that he should be allowed to contest the January 8 polls (from NA-250 Karachi, South) despite his inability to produce original academic certificates which were recently stolen. Other petitioners include Sardar Wahid Bukhsh Bhaiyo (NA-203, Shikarpur) and Abdus Salam Thaheem (PS-83).

Advocates Farooq H. Naek, Anwar Mansoor Khan, Ali Ahmed Junejo, Noor Naz Agha, Raza Hashmi and Adnan Karim have so far appeared on behalf of the petitioners or private respondents. Deputy Attorney-General Rizwan A. Siddiqui and Assistant Advocate-General Agha Zaffir Ali are representing the federal and provincial governments.