KARACHI, Dec 5: An election tribunal comprising Justices Khwaja Naveed Ahmed and Khalid Ali Z. Qazi issued notices on Wednesday in more appeals against the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers.
Former provincial law minister Pir Mazharul Haq challenged the rejection of his papers for PS-74, Dadu-I, saying he was convicted under the Ehtesab Act but an appeal against the conviction was pending in the Supreme Court. Besides, he was entitled to relief under the National Reconciliation Ordinance. The tribunal issued notices to the Election Commission, the federal and provincial attorneys and other respondents for Dec 12.
The PPP candidate for NA 251 (Karachi-South) Saeed Ghani stated that his papers were rejected for his holding the office of nazim of union council four, Chanesar Goth, Jamshed Town. He contended through Advocate Adnan Karim that the Sindh Local Government Ordinance barred the holding of two local government offices and not membership of federal or provincial legislatures. There was no bar in the Constitution or the election laws under which he intended to contest the polls for the national or provincial assembly. Notices in the appeals were issued to the respondents for Dec 10.
Another election tribunal comprising Justices Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui and Rana M. Shamim issued notices for Dec 8 in an appeal filed by Zahoor Ali Bozdar against the acceptance of the nomination papers of Pir Syed Fayyaz Shah for PS-33 (Khairpur-V).
The appellant submitted through Advocate M. Nawaz Shaikh that Pir Fayyaz was nazim of union council 22, Ranipur, Khairpur district, and was not eligible to contest the provincial assembly polls. The candidate was also a defaulter, he alleged.
Contempt notice
The Sindh High Court asked the Export Processing Zone chairman on Wednesday to appear in person on Dec 11 to answer a contempt allegation.
The plaintiff concerned submitted through advocates Yusuf Moulvi and Nadeem Qureshi that he was allotted a plot in the zone upon payment of dues. The EPZ chairman later issued him a notice for the cancellation of the allotment and it challenged the notice in the high court by instituting a suit. The court directed the chairman on Sept 5 to maintain status quo pending the suit. However, the defendant cancelled the allotment in violation of the court order.
The plaintiff moved a contempt application against the chairman and Justice Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui summoned the alleged contemnor with an EPZ official.