KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Sindh High Court were moved on Monday against the recent election of Waseem Akhtar, a leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, as Karachi mayor.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf leader Mohammad Faisal Vawda filed a constitutional petition in the SHC stating that Mr Akhtar was incapable by conduct of being and acting as city mayor, because there were many cases against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Another petition was filed in Karachi Registry of the apex court by Mumtaz Ali Solongi, hailing from Khairpur and a resident of Malir, also sought an order restraining the MQM leader from taking oath as the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation mayor on the similar grounds.

The PTI leader recalled in his petition that Mr Akhtar on Sept 30, last year in a TV channel programme criticised and scandalized the Pakistan Army, ISI and MI levelling false and baseless allegations. He alleged that the MQM leader’s utterances indicated that India had given him task to create a sense of insecurity among the people of Pakistan.

Mr Vawda said Mr Akhtar’s representation at any forum of elected body was harmful and against the interest of the country, therefore he was liable to be restrained by the Election Commission of Pakistan from taking oath of the mayor’s office.

He submitted the people still remembered how the judges of the high court and lawyers were surrounded and detained on the SHC premises on May 12.

The PTI leader submitted that Mr Akhtar played a key role in the massacre in the city and he must not be allowed to rule Karachi through KMC.

He said he had also moved the ECP against the election of Mr Akhtar, but the election commission had not so far decided his application and this gave undue advantage to the MQM leader.

Notwithstanding, it was submitted, that till such time the application was decided by the ECP and the disposal of all criminal cases by respective courts, Mr Akhtar be restrained from taking oath as city mayor.

The PTI chief further submitted that Mr Akhtar was in prison and arrested in many cases and it was impossible for him to act as mayor from behind the bars.

He contended that in these circumstances the MQM leader was liable to be restrained from taking oath as mayor till the disposal of application against his election by the ECP.

The petitioner also asked the court that Mr Akhtar could not act as mayor until criminal cases against him were decided.

In his petition, Mumtaz Solongi submitted that Mr Akhtar belonged to the party whose leader had made hate speeches.

He apprehended that the law and order situation could worsen if the authority to govern the city was given to Mr Akhtar who was involved in several cases of terrorism.

The petitioner also submitted that Mr Akhtar was home adviser to the chief minister when he claimed to be in control of the city and denounced the then deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry saying that he (Mr Akhtar) would not allow him to enter Karachi.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016