KARACHI: An election tribunal on Tuesday turned down a plea challenging the candidature of Federal Minister Faisal Vawda to contest the upcoming Senate election.

The tribunal headed by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court ruled that the entire case of the appellant was in view of allegations pertaining to the 2018 general election while the tribunal was constituted at a pre-electoral stage to consider the objections against the decisions of the returning officer (RO) for the March 3 Senate election.

It further said that an appeal assailing the denial of consideration of matters did not fall within the jurisdiction of the RO and cannot be sustained by the tribunal.

It noted that the appellant rested his case upon alleged renunciation documents, but remained unable to satisfy the tribunal as to where such copies of the documentation were obtained. The law officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan has categorically said that such documents were not produced there and Mr Vawda’s lawyer also denied the authenticity of such documents, it added.

SHC issues notices on a plea against blockade of roads near NSK for PSL matches

“This tribunal is primarily constituted to assail the orders of the RO and it would be in opportune to denigrate the impugned order upon alleged non-judicious exercise of jurisdiction, not vested therein,” Justice Faisal ruled.

It further observed that it was an admitted fact that there was no allegation against the respondent for currently holding dual nationality for the purpose of the Senate election, as the allegations were pertaining to the 2018 general election.

It was of the view that the grounds invoked to impugn the order under consideration could not be considered before this tribunal being of summary nature at the pre-electoral stage. However, such allegations may be agitated before the court of law of competent jurisdiction, it concluded.

Qadir Khan Mandokhel filed an appeal against the Feb 18 order of the RO to accept nomination papers of Mr Vawda for the March 3 Senate election stating that his nomination form should not have been entertained since he was still a sitting MNA and a federal minister while an earlier complaint against Mr Vawda was still pending before the ECP and a petition before the Islamabad High Court for not disclosing his US nationality in the nomination papers filed during the general elections in 2018.

Blockades of roads for PSL

The SHC on Tuesday issued notices to the focal person of the home department and SP traffic (East) on an application seeking contempt proceedings against them for allegedly blocking two main roads near the National Stadium Karachi (NSK) during the ongoing matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL).

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also directed the alleged contemnors to appear in person along with comments on Feb 26.

Petitioner Aziz Fatima of Pasban submitted that the respondents had violated the order of the bench issued last week in which they undertook that both main thoroughfares near NSK would remain open during PSL matches.

The bench also directed the AIG legal to submit comments since the petitioner’s lawyer submitted that due to blockage of roads, various incidents of mobile and wallet snatching were occurring and no proper security was in place to help the public.

Meanwhile, the same bench also directed the authorities concerned to take action against all workshops to ensure that no CNG kit and cylinders would be installed in any vehicle without certification of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan.

It also asked them to continue the task of inspecting vehicles plying on roads and not allow any vehicle to operate without certification about kits and cylinders.

Police submitted that they were taking action against the substandard CNG kits and cylinders in the vehicles in their jurisdictions.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021