HYDERABAD, Jan 16: A division bench of the Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit, comprising Justice Mohammad Roshan Essani and S. Ali Aslam Jafri has issued notices to Zila Council, Mirpurkhas district, Secretary Local Government, Public Health Engineering and Rural Development and Provincial Local Government Commission, on a constitutional petition, praying to the court to direct Secretary Local Government and Provincial Local Government Commission to hold an inquiry in the conduct of Convenor and Naib Nazim of Zila Council Mirpurkhas. The matter was fixed for January 24.
Jhamatmal Jethanand, advocate, filed the petition on behalf of Zulfikar Ali Junejo, a Nazim and member of Zila Council Mirpurkhas.
The petitioner sought permanent injunctions from the court, restraining the Zila Council from acting upon the constitution of 13 sub-committees and in any manner from working through these sub-committees.
He said that the convenor had called a meeting of the Zila Council on Dec 4, 2001, for Dec 12. As many as 38 members, including the petitioner, arrived in the hall at 10am to attend the meeting and waited till 11.35am. But neither the convenor nor first three persons of the panel of the presiding officers were present, therefore Yawar Ali Khan, took the chair and presided over the meeting. The attention of the chair was drawn towards the lack of quorum and the meeting was postponed.
The 38 members and the presiding officer left the hall at 12.30pm. The presiding officer communicated the above facts to the district coordination officer, Mirpurkhas, and the other concerned.
After Dec 12, 2001, the petitioner said, it was claimed that the convenor of the Zila Council had convened the meeting on the said date after 12.45pm and the session elected the chairmen and members on 13 sub-committees whereas no elections were held for four sub-committees.
The petitioner requested the convenor to furnish the copy of resolution but it was not provided. The petitioner said that he and 19 other members of the council submitted a representation, dated Jan 3, to the chief executive/ Sindh governor and the respondents in this context but to no avail.
The petitioner counsel argued that the constitution of the 13 sub-committees of the council by its convenor were illegal and void. There was no agenda of the meeting, convened by the convenor, therefore he had no jurisdiction to constitute the committees without agenda. He maintained that the convenor and first three presiding officers did not attend the meeting till 12.30pm, the meeting was therefore legally held by the fourth presiding officer, Yawar Ali Khan, which was adjourned. The convenor had no authority to proceed after the adjournment thus the entire proceedings, if any, were vitiated and were void.
He argued that the holding of the meeting by the convenor with the full knowledge of its earlier adjournment by the presiding officer was a malafide act to deprive the petitioner and other 37 members of their right to be elected on the said committees. He said that the convenor deliberately did not furnish copies of the minutes of the meeting, held on Dec 12.
The petitioner prayed the court to declare the constitution of the sub-committees without any lawful authority and issue permanent injunctions, restraining the Zila Council from acting on the sub-committees.
HIGHWAYMEN: Tando Allahyar police busted a gang of notorious dacoits within the jurisdiction of Chambar police station and recovered weapons from their possession.
The police said that the dacoits had committed a highway robbery at midnight on Wednesday. The police chased them through footprints.
The dacoits hid themselves in an orchard near Bukhera Shakh. As the police approached the spot the dacoits opened fire on them, compelling the former to return the fire.
The dacoits surrendered after their ammunition was exhausted.
They were identified as Chooto Bheel, gang leader, Harchand, Ramo Kolhi and Lakho Kolhi.