SHC asks PML-N chief to verify candidate’s nomination

Candidate says party chief awarded him a ticket, PML-N’s general secretary says otherwise.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court asked the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to explain whether or not his party has nominated a lawyer, Qadir Khan Mandokhel, as a candidate to contest elections on a National Assembly seat.

Qadir Khan Mandokhel claimed that he is associated with the PML-N and contesting elections from NA-239 of Karachi. After filing his nomination papers and scrutiny, the election commission allotted the tiger as his party’s election symbol.

PML-N general secretary Saleem Zia, however, also approached the commission, alleging that the candidate had filed a fake party  certificate after which the returning officer cancelled Mandokhel’s allotment of the tiger symbol and gave him the cow symbol instead.

The petitioner insisted that the he was given a ticket by Nawaz Sharif to contest election. He asked the court to declare him a candidate of the PML-N and order re-allotment of the tiger symbol.

“The controversy is whether the petitioner is a duly nominated candidate of PML-N or otherwise,” noted the bench.

The court directed its office to call record of proceedings from the concerned returning officer by May 4.

The lawyer for PML-N leader Saleem Zia was also directed to obtain fax verification from the PML-N president on whether he had nominated the petitioner as a candidate to contest the election or not.

Call for the army

Pakistan Peoples Party candidate, Abdul Aziz Memon, who is contesting election for NA-249 in Karachi, asked the court for the deployment of army in the constituency of Lyari to maintain law and order for free and fair polls.

Memon claimed that he was facing threats from the Taliban, who recently attacked his gathering related to elections.

Sindh law officer, Adnan Karim Memon, said that in terms of article 220 of the Constitution, it was the duty of the executive authority of the federal and provincial government to assist the commissioner and election commission in discharging their duties. He stated that the commission should issue necessary directives in this regard.

Disposing of the plea, the bench asked the petitioner to approach the relevant authority in accordance with law. “It is expected that the Election Commission of Pakistan shall do the needful to ensure that free and fair elections are held and to level the playing field for all the candidates,” observed Justice Mushir.

Another bench, headed by Justice Maqbool Baqir, put off the hearing of MQM leader Nabeel Gabol’s plea for army deployment in Lyari, particularly NA-248, due to alleged threats from the militants.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.