AJK court disqualifies assembly speaker from contesting upcoming polls

Decision comes weeks after petition seeking Sardar Ghulam Sadiq’s disqualification was filed by his rival candidate

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court (AJKHC) disqualified on Monday Speaker Legislative Assembly Sardar Ghulam Sadiq, a candidate of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), from contesting the upcoming general elections in AJK over alleged embezzlement and misuse of power.

“Sadiq did not fulfil the definition of being righteous, honest and not profligate as mentioned in rule 5 (2) (F) of the AJK (Elections) Ordinance 1970,” said two judges of the AJKHC, Justice Aftab Alvi and Justice Azhar Saleem Babar, in their judgement.

The court ordered Sadiq be disqualified to contest the upcoming elections, directing the AJK Election Commission (AJKEC) to delete his name from the list of valid candidates of LA-XVIII Poonch-Sudhnooti-II.



The decision comes weeks after a petition seeking Sadiq’s disqualification of the candidature was filed by his rival candidate Sardar Khan Bahadar Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over alleged corrupt practices of the speaker.

The lawyers had presented the proofs of the embezzlement, misuse of power and favouritism of Sadiq before the court.

The speaker was also accused of getting double salary and allowances as ‘adviser’ to the AJK Council chairman and AJK assembly member for more than 31 months. However, rising media pressure forced Sadiq to deposit Rs2.09 million in the government exchequer.

The PPP candidate was also accused of misusing his position to appoint voters and supporters in the education department of AJK in various primary schools of Sudhnoti without merit.

Meanwhile, Sadiq’s lawyers have decided to challenge the AJKHC order in the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJKSC).