The court, however, served notices to the respondents to submit their reply on the disqualification of Vohra.

The petitioner had challenged his disqualification as Karachi deputy mayor by the ECP for leaving the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on whose ticket he was elected to the post.

Vohra, in his plea, stated that he had ended his association with the MQM after the anti-state speeches of its chief Ataf Hussain and joined the Pak Sirzameen Party (PSP). The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan  (MQM-P) had not issued him its ticket for contesting the election of deputy mayor, he added.

He prayed the court to set aside the ECP's decision to disqualify him and also issued a stay order against the notification.

The bench rejected his request for a stay order, however, it sought reply from respondents on the petition.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2019