ECP again takes up petition against Faryal

In an important development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday again took up a petition moved by two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs from Sindh Assembly seeking disqualification of Faryal Talpur, the sister of PPP CO-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, as a lawmaker and fixed the case for hearing on February 3.

This is the fresh high profile case to be heard by the ECP since new Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja assumed charge on January 27.

In October last year, two PTI Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from Sindh Rabia Azfar Nizami and Arsalan Taj Hussain filed a petition in the ECP seeking Talpur's disqualification on the grounds that she concealed her wealth details in the statements of assets and liabilities filed with the ECP and is not 'Sadiq and Ameen' (truthful and trustworthy), a mandatory requirement in the Article 62 (1) (f) for being a member of Parliament. Allegedly, Talpur did not declare her 60-acre land in Shahdadkot, Sindh, in her wealth statement submitted to the ECP.

The ECP heard the case but quashed the petition due to the reason that it was not followed up by the petitioners. However, the commission on Monday decided to once again take up the case keeping in view the fact that the petitioners were willing to pursue it and requested the ECP to fix a date for the hearing of the case, sources in the ECP told Business Recorder.

The Article 62 (1) (f) reads, "A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless- (f) he is sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and Ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law."

Talpur was elected as an MPA on Pakistan People's Party (PPP) ticket on Sindh Assembly's seat PS-10 Larkana-I in the general elections held on July 25, 2018.

On February 6, the ECP would hear a case involving PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari regarding alleged disparities in his statement of assets and liabilities submitted with the ECP.

On January 9, the ECP asked the PPP chairman to appear before the commission either in person or through his counsel on January 14 to address certain queries related to his latest statement of assets and liabilities submitted with the ECP. Bilawal has submitted a reply before the ECP through his counsel Senator Farooq Naek denying any disparity in his wealth details. The ECP has adjourned the case till February 6.