KARACHI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reserved its decision on Tuesday regarding the maintainability of the plea in reference to Mutahidda Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P) determining the de jure convener of the party.
Sattar had earlier challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction to hear a petition pertaining to the party’s convenership on March 1.
His legal counsel Babar Sattar stated that the party’s internal matters cannot be heard by the ECP, demanding the Bahadurabad group’s petition should be dismissed.
However, Maqbool Siddiqui’s counsel Farogh Naseem presented his arguments today and said that Sattar was dismissed from the post as per the party’s constitution, adding that Sattar’s intra-party election on February 18 was not as per the party’s election law.
Naseem said that all the disputes should be resolved as per the party constitution, adding that if there are intra-party reservations then the ECP can look into it.
He added that all the earlier verdicts point out that the ECP has the jurisdiction to resolve the matter.
During the hearing, Farooq’s lawyer Babar Sattar said that the ECP has no jurisdiction regarding intra-party issues.
Babar said that the ECP should check its record from 2012 to 2016, according to which all the party tickets have been issued under Sattar’s signature.
Following which the Chief Election Commissioner said that this court cannot tell anyone’s rights, adding that the party has a better answer to the query.
The ECP, after the arguments from all sides, reserved its decision on the maintainability of the petition. The ECP adjourned the hearing until March 26.
