HYDERABAD, March 21: A division bench of Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, here on Thursday has issued notice to the deputy attorney general to appear in the court on March 26.

The notice was issued on a constitutional petition challenging the non-registration of over 1,000 people belonging to Memon community by the assistant registration officer (ARO), Diplo, Tharparkar.

Advocate Yusuf Leghari has filed the petition on behalf of Ghulam Hussain Memon, a resident of Diplo.

The Election Commission of Pakistan through its chief election commissioner, chairman, Nadra, home ministry, registration officer, Tharparkar, at Mithi, assistant registration officer, Diplo, election officer, Mithi, and deputy election commissioner, have been cited as respondents.

The petitioner said that Diplo Town had five blocks out of which four were inhibited by Memon community.

He said that Naib Nazim of Diplo union council Diplo was against the Memon community and he was a close relative of the ARO.

According to the petitioner, the Naib Nazim influenced the ARO not to enter the votes of the Memon community to which he obliged.

The lawyer argued in the petition that the people had been discriminated against and the act of respondent registration officials was based on personal whims with the result that more than 1,000 people belonging to Memon community were not enlisted as voters.

He said that the respondents acted in utter violation of the policy of the election commission which had promised free and fair elections.

The counsel prayed the court to declare the act of the respondents illegal, void and a violation of article 4, 14, 25 and 33 of the constitution.

He said that the respondents be directed to register votes of Diplo’s Memon community.