On hold: PHC restrains Pakistan Olympic Association from announcing results

Lawyer argues authorities allowed another group to vote

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has stopped Pakistan Olympic Association from announcing results for its elections and sought a reply from the association.

A bench, comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, heard a petition filed by Senator Ghulam Ali on Thursday. It was informed that elections for the association were held on January 22 even though the bench had ordered a stay on the polls.

Shumail Ahmad Butt, the petitioner’s lawyer, told the bench only members of the association were supposed to cast their votes. However, the authorities allowed another group to vote in the elections.

He requested the bench to restrain the association from announcing its results.

Khwaja Haris, the association’s lawyer, argued that the writ was not maintainable as similar writs were already pending before the Supreme Court.

The bench, after hearing the arguments, ordered to merge all such applications and adjourned the case till February 18.

In an earlier hearing on January 22, Butt argued petitioners were elected president and general secretary of the K-P Olympic Association – a body that sought to promote sports in the province and the tribal belt. He said elections were held without the participation of these two main stakeholders, praying the court to stay it. The bench stayed the elections, issued a notice to Arif Hassan, the association’s secretary, and sought a reply from him.

K-POA polls stayed

On January 6, a single member bench also stayed the elections of the K-P Olympic Association in which polling was scheduled to be held on January 10. The court had also sought replies from the provincial government and sports directorate after they were made respondents in the petition.

Justice Syed Afsar Shah issued an interim order over the petition filed by Haji Ghulam Ali in which he challenged the formation of an election commission. The bench directed the authorities that no steps towards holding of the election should be taken till next order.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th,  2016.