Poll tribunal: Case against PML-F candidate adjourned

KARACHI: The Provincial Election Tribunal, Sindh, headed by Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai of Sindh High Court, adjourned till January 17 the hearing of an election petition filed by PPP-Parliamentarian candidate Sajid Ali challenging the election of PML - Functional candidate Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashidi on NA-216, Khairpur-II, during the February 2008 elections.

Petitioner Sajid Ali said that respondent Pir Sadruddin Shah was not qualified to contest the elections as he did not possess a graduation degree, which was mandatory under Article 8-A of the Conduct of General Election Order 2002. He alleged his rival contested election by filing a fake degree showing that he obtained the Karachi University degree in 1988. The submitted degree actually belonged to Sadruddin Shah, son of Ali Mardan Shah, and not the rival candidate whose full name was Pir Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashidi, son of Pir Shah Mardan Shah-II Pir Pagaro.

On Saturday, Advocate Abdul Hafeez Lakho advanced arguments on his miscellaneous application seeking verification of the BA degree possessed by the respondent. Earlier, counsel of Pir Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi moved miscellaneous application under Section 52 and 63 of Representative of Peoples Act 1976 stating election petition was time barred and prayed for its dismissal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th,  2011.