KARACHI, June 1: Chief of the National People’s Party Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi has said that he will file a contempt petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan for issuing the order de-notifying the election result of NA-202 (Shikarpur) constituency from where Dr Ibrahim Jatoi was declared successful. However, he added, he would move the court only when he was satisfied that justice would be restored.

Addressing a press conference at his residence here on Sunday, he said that Dr Jatoi’s rivals had challenged the result in the Sindh High Court and obtained a stay order. Later the high court vacated the stay and ordered the election commission to notify the result. The rivals then moved the Supreme Court which issued a ruling granting status quo, by virtue of which Dr Jatoi stood winner.The NPP chief said that despite the SC ruling, the election commission de-notified the result. Therefore, he said, he intends to file a contempt petition. He said that the notification of the result of PS-12 from where Abid Hussain Jatoi had contested the election was delayed to deprive his party of a seat reserved for women. He said the party would move the court also on this matter.

Referring to the crisis-like situation prevailing in the country, the NPP chief advised all components of the ruling coalition not to make certain issues a matter of their ego and shun their differences for the sake of the country.

“If they want to restore the deposed judges, they can do so through a parliamentary resolution as mentioned in the Murree Declaration,” he said, adding that lack of will and vested interests seemed to be involved.

Mr Jatoi, who was accompanying Abid Hussain Jatoi, Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Syed Zia Abbas and Mushtaq Awan, said that if the price-hike, power shortage, unemployment and other crises looming large on the country were allowed to deepen anymore, the results would be disastrous for the country. “Immediate measures are needed to be taken to drag the country out of this situation,” he added.

He, however, welcomed the government’s announcement about shelving of the Kalabagh dam project and re-naming the NWFP.

He said that the newly-elected assembly should also complete their tenure. “I believe that for sake of continuing democratic process, the present assemblies should complete their full constitutional term,” he said adding that conditions should not be created to expose the country to political instability.