Disqualification of Sindh CM cases: SHC orders conclusion of arguments

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the conclusion of the arguments in next hearing of the case related to disqualification of Sindh Chief Minister.

A division bench of SHC ordered both parties to conclude their arguments by May 25, 2021 by seeking a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a lifetime disqualification case against Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah.

”We will be able to give a response on next hearing only after taking guidelines from the electoral body,” replied the ECP’s representative.

The SHC while summoning response from the ECP and the Sindh government on the plea adjourned the hearing until May 25.

The petition against the Sindh chief minister stated that Shah had been disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC) in 2013 but he contested by-election in 2014 from Jamshoro. The petitioner Mahmood Akthar Naqvi sought the high court to disqualify Murad Ali Shah for a lifetime.

The government’s lawyer said that Shah has contested many elections after that but no one challenged it before.

Meanwhile, SHC sought replies from federal government attorney in the case pertaining to disqualification of Faisal Vawda, who was elected senator in the last Senate poll last month.

SHC bench was hearing the petition of Vawda by challenging the proceedings in ECP in which he has been accused of concealing the facts about his dual nationality for contesting the election for National Assembly in July 25, 2018 elections.

Justice Amjad Ali Sehto inquired about the status of case in ECP, at which ECP representatives told the court that there are multiple petitions so the case is taking long time.

He told the court that ECP furnished its response. Court ordered federal government attorney to give his arguments in next hearing on April 25, 2021.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021