The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday extended its interim order, suspending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s proceedings against Pakistan Peoples Party’s legislator for allegedly filing an incorrect statement of assets.
A division bench headed by Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti directed the ECP to file till July 01 its reply to the petition of Nawab Ghaibi Sardar Khan Chandio.
The petitioner through his counsel submitted that he had been elected to provincial assembly seat (PS-42) in the general elections 2013. His rivals, who lost elections to him, had approached the ECP seeking his disqualification, alleging that he had filed a wrong statement of assets and other liabilities in his nomination papers.
He said that the commission had entertained these complaints, issuing notices to him as well as complainants for appearing before it for proceedings to be commenced on June 08, 2015. He argued that these proceedings are unconstitutional as according to the relevant election laws any person, the person who has any grievance with regards to the elections, is required to file the election petition within the stipulated time, which is 60 days. He added that the commission was entertaining the complaints even though the period had expired.
Naming ECP, his rivals Lal Khan Chandio and Manzor Ahmed Chandio as respondents, he pleaded with the court to declare the act of ECP unlawful. The court was requested to set aside the commission’s proceedings.
