KARACHI, Feb 17: The Election Tribunal, headed by Justice Ghulam Rabbani of the Sindh High Court, put off on Monday to March 10 the hearing of a petition filed by Syed Munawwar Hasan of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against MNA Kunwar Khalid Younus of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The petitioner challenged the result of NA-245 Karachi.

Junaid Farooqui, counsel for Mr Hasan, contended that bogus votes were cast in NA-245. At various polling stations voters of the petitioner were harassed. He prayed to the court to order re-polling in NA-245.

On the election petition of PPP candidate Abdul Karim Bhurgari against the PML (Q)’s wining candidate, Syed Ali Bux Shah, from PS-57 Badin-III the same tribunal permitted the petitioner to serve notices on the respondents through newspapers for March 10.

The tribunal also repeated notices to those respondents who were not served with notices for March 10 on the petition of MMA candidate Haleem Khan Ghauri against MQM candidate Mohammed Abbas Jaffery from PS-119 Karachi East.

It adjourned the hearing of the petition of Nadeem Maqbool of the MQM against MMA candidate Mohammed Younus Barai from PS-126 Karachi.

Muneeb Ahmed Khan, counsel for Nadeem Maqbool, requested for time and the tribunal adjourned the hearing to March 10.

The Election Tribunal, comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court, put off to March 3 the hearing of an election petition filed by Mustafeezuddin of the MMA against Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Sindh Minister of Excise and Taxation.

When the petition came up for hearing, Qazi Khalid Ali, advocate, appearing for the respondent minister, submitted that the tribunal should first look into the maintainability of the petition under sections 55 and 68 of the Peoples Representation Act of 1973.

The counsel for the petitioner sought time for responding to the five legal points raised by the counsel for the respondent, at which the tribunal deferred further proceedings.

Justice Ghulam Rabbani, heading another election tribunal, while hearing five other election petitions, ordered repeating notices and publication of notices to the respondents who were still unserved.— PPI/APP