Out of the race: AJK assembly speaker disqualified from contesting polls

Sardar Ghulam Sadiq was accused of corruption and misuse of power

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court disqualified on Monday the speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Sardar Ghulam Sadiq, from contesting the upcoming general elections for corruption and misuse of authority.

“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,” a two-judge bench of the court – comprising Justice Aftab Alvi and Justice Azhar Saleem Babar – said in their judgement.

The court disqualified Sadiq from contesting the upcoming elections, directing the AJK Election Commission to delete his name from the list of candidates for LA-XVIII (Poonch-Sudhnoti-II).

The decision comes weeks after a petition challenging Sadiq’s candidature was filed by his rival candidate, Sardar Khan Bahadar Khan of the PML-N over his ‘corrupt practices’. Rahat Farooq Raja and Sardar Zia, the counsels for the petitioner, presented proofs of 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 as AJK assembly member for more than 31 months. However, Sadiq was forced to deposit Rs2.09 million in the state exchequer.

Similarly, Sadiq was also accused of misusing his position in severe violation of countless judgments on the issue allegedly to get his favourites appointed against various posts, particularly in the Education Department. In one such case in February 2013, the counsel contended, Sadiq sent a list of 12 people to the district education officer (DEO) Sudhnoti on his official letterhead and in his own handwriting for their appointment as primary schoolteachers.

Meanwhile, Sadiq’s lawyers said they would challenge the disqualification order in the AJK Supreme Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2016.