ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the by-election on a Sindh Assembly seat (PS-53 Tando Mohammad Khan) scheduled for Dec 4.

The court admitted an appeal filed by Pakistan People’s Party candidate Waheeda Shah against her disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Sindh High Court to contest the election.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk directed the ECP not to hold the by-poll till the appeal was decided.

The Chief Election Commissioner, retired Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, had disqualified Ms Shah from contesting an election for two years in view of her conviction under Section 86(3) (b) of the Representation of People Act, 1976. Ms Shah had been found guilty of slapping presiding officer Habiba Memon and other polling staff at a polling station during an earlier by-poll on Feb 25 and, thus, interfering in the polling process.

The ECP had declared the by-election invalid.—PPI