ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday stayed the proceeding of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) pertaining to the qualification Faryal Talpur and served notices to the respondents.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur challenging the ECP’s proceeding against her qualification.

Petitioner’s lawyer Farook H. Naek adopted the stance that the ECP had reopened the case against his client without listening her. After listening arguments, the court sought comments from respondents till May 28, and also issued a stay order against the proceeding of ECP till that.

The petition had prayed the court to declare the ECP decision dated February 8, as null and void, and stopped its proceeding against Faryal Talpur's qualification.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs Arsalan Taj and Rabia Azfar had moved a petition in the ECP seeking disqualification of Ms Talpur as member of the provincial assembly over allegedly concealing her assets.

They stated that the PPP leader should be disqualified under Article 62 of the Constitution as she failed to declare details of her assets before the ECP, which means she is no longer ‘Sadiq and Ameen’.

Faryal Talpur owned properties in Larkana and Shahdadkot, the petitioner stated, adding Talpur had been nominated in a case pertaining to billions of rupees corruption through fake bank accounts. They pleaded that she be disqualified as a member of the Sindh Assembly.