=> The Election Tribunal of the Sindh High Court (SHC
The Election Tribunal of the Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the provincial election commissioner (PEC) and a returning officer (R0) for December 6 on the appeal of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) candidate Safwanullah against the rejection of his nomination papers for National Assembly constituency NA-251, Karachi.
The ex-federal minister’s counsel Mahfooz Yar Khan submitted that the appellant had filed three nomination papers before the concerned office, but it placed only one nomination before the RO at the time of scrutiny, which was rejected on technical grounds.
The counsel prayed that the two other nomination papers be produced and examined by the RO and his client’s name be included in the final list of candidates.
The tribunal, comprising Justice Khawaja Naveed Ahmed and Justice Khalid Ali Z Kazi, after conducting preliminary hearing of the appeal, issued notices to the advocate general (AG) and the PEC, and directed the RO to produce the remaining two nomination papers of the appellant on the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the same tribunal issued notices to the deputy-AG, PPP candidates Dr Fehmida Mirza, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and others on the appeals of Shujaat Ali Shah who has challenged the acceptance of nomination papers of the respondents from NA-225 Badin by the RO.
The appellant contended that the said PPP candidates could not contest the election, alleging that they are bank defaulters. His counsel, Soofia Saeed Shah, contended that the RO had erred in accepting the nomination papers of the respondent candidates and did not consider that they had defaulted in loans. The counsel prayed the tribunal to reject the nomination papers of the respondents. Respondents’ counsel S.M. Iqbal claimed notice on the appeal and submitted that he would file a statement on the appeal.
In another appeal filed by Nisar Ahmed Qazi against the rejection of his nomination papers from NA-220 Hyderabad, the tribunal issued notices to an RO and AG for December 6.
Qazi’s nomination papers were rejected by the RO as he failed to produce the graduation degree at the time of scrutiny. He contended that there was no mention in the Election Rules-2007 that a candidate shall be a graduate for contesting the general election.
Besides this, PPP leader Saeed Ghani filed an appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers by an RO for NA-251 Karachi. Ghani’s papers were rejected on the objections raised by MQM candidates Waseem Akhtar and Safwanullah. The respondents sought his disqualification on the ground that he was still a union counsel member and was not entitled to contest the general elections.
Another appeal was filed by Zaboor Ali Buzdar who challenged the acceptance of Pir Fayaz Shah’s nomination from the provincial assembly constituency PSÂ33 Khairpur. He alleged that the respondent was a UC Nazim and could not contest the elections.
The two abovementioned appeals will be taken up by the tribunals on Wednesday.
Source: The News
Date:12/5/2007
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