Tribunal defers order on Qaim’s election

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad election tribunal has deferred its order in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Syed Ghous Ali Shah’s petition against election of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on PS-29 Khairpur to a date in office considering the stay granted by the Sindh High Court.

ET presiding officer Ashfaq Baloch had heard Farooq H. Naek, counsel for the CM, and Aslam Bhutta, counsel for the petitioner, on Wednesday and adjourned the matter for a day to decide whether an order could be announced or not.

Mr Bhutta contended that the restraining order, passed by the SHC was still intact. He said that the high court had restrained this tribunal from announcing a judgement on this petition till 2pm on May 4. He said that when his petition was to be heard on May 4, board was discharged by court due to the demise of SHC Bar vice president Ikhlaq Ahmed, so the interim/restraining order still held the field.

Mr Naek pleaded that the tribunal was free to announce judgement in the matter given the fact that a time and date had been mentioned in the restraining order. He argued that such order could not be extended.

The SHC had suspended an order of the Election Commission of Pakistan transferring the election petition to the Hyderabad tribunal on the chief minister’s plea. The petition was first filed in the Sukkur election tribunal and then transferred to the Karachi tribunal on the CM’s plea. Later, the ECP transferred the case to the Hyderabad tribunal on his application. Syed Ghous Ali Shah assailed the move in the SHC, which restrained the tribunal from announcing its judgement.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play