KARACHI, March 3: A PML-Q candidate’s appeal against recount of votes and a stay of notification of his election from the provincial constituency PS-87 (Thatta) will be heard in Islamabad on March 6.

Mohammad Ali Malkani, the unofficial winner, has challenged a Sindh High Court division bench order for recount of votes in the constituency on a petition submitted by his PPP rival, Ghulam Qadir Malkani.

The bench restrained the election commission from notifying the result till the recount of votes. The appeal came up before a Supreme Court bench at its Karachi registry on Monday. The SC bench comprised Justices Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari and Zia Pervez but the latter declined to hear it for some reason.

The bench told the appellant’s counsel, Abdul Mujeeb Pirzada, and Syed Ghulam Shah, that the appeal would have to be sent to the chief justice for assignment to another bench subject to the availability of judges at the registry.

The counsel said they would have no objection if the appeal was heard at the principal seat. The bench fixed March 6 as the date of hearing at Islamabad. Meanwhile, respondent GQ Malkani’s counsel, Raja Qureshi, entered a caveat on behalf of his client.