HYDERABAD, Nov 12: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s MNA-elect, Dev Das, here on Tuesday appeared before the Sindh High Court, and sought time to file comments on a constitutional petition challenging his election on a National Assembly’s reserved seat for the minorities.

Jhamatmal Jethanand has filed the petition on behalf of Dr Mahesh Kumar, a candidate of the People’s Party Parliamentarians for the minority seat. He cited the Election Commission, the provincial election commissioner, Sindh, and Dev Das as respondents.

He claimed that under provisions of section 47-A of the Representation of People’s Act 1976, read with articles 6 and 8-F of the General Elections Order 7 of 2002, the members of 10 reserved seats for minorities were to be elected through proportional representation system.

Under the system, he explained, the minority seats were allocated to the political parties, according to the number of the general seats, secured by each political party.

He further said that under sub-rule 2 of rule 5 of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies Allocation of Reserved Seats for Women and Non-Muslim (Procedure) Rules 2002, the seats, won by independent candidates, and more than one general seat, won by nominee of a political party, were to be excluded from total number of general seats in the National Assembly, in order to determine per centum share of each political party.

He said the seven candidates of the political parties were elected on two general seats of the National Assembly and 19 others were elected on the seats of both the National Assembly and provincial assembly.

Jethanand said that while determining per centum share of each political party, the EC had not excluded the above mentioned 26 dual seats, reducing the share of the political party of the petitioner, the PPP, from three to two seats.

He argued that in this way, Kumar was deprived of his entitlement to the minority seat, since in the order of priority, his name was at No3 in the list of the PPP.

He said that on account of the omission, the candidate of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which had won 13 seats and was not entitled to any minority seat, was declared elected on the reserved seat by the EC.

He pointed out that he had requested the EC to exclude 26 dual seats from the total number of the general seats and re-determine the share of each political party in accordance with the rules but with no effect.

DOG-BITE CASES: The leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have expressed concern over increasing incidents of dog-bite cases in the city, saying that the Nazims and other officials appear least concerned about the predicament of the residents, reports our Bureau.