Farooq Sattar calls upon ECP to disqualify Arshad Vohra

Says Vohra violated law, constitution by switching political parties

Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) Chief Farooq Sattar has called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan [ECP] for the removal and disqualification of Arshad Vohra as Deputy Mayor Karachi, Express News reported.

In a letter to the ECP, Sattar noted that Vohra has violated the law and constitution by switching political parties and asked the commission to issue a notification disqualifying him. The MQM-P chief also demanded by-elections be held for the union council seat that will be vacated by Vohra.



On October 29, the deputy mayor joined Mustafa Kamal’s Pak Sarzameen Party [PSP]. Since then his security protocol and secretarial facilitation were taken away on the orders of Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar.

He is adamant on not leaving the seat. “I have been elected chairman from UC 49. People have voted for me, so I am consulting my party leaders and legal experts on the matter,” Vohra told The Express Tribune.

Unlike the national and provincial assemblies, there is no legal provision for the local bodies which allows for action against elected representatives who change their political affiliations.

In the parliament and provincial assemblies, the political parties can approach the ECP seeking disqualification of the absconding member, but there is no word pertaining to floor-crossing in the Sindh Local Government Act 2013.



“A member shall be removed if he or she is guilty of misconduct, [including] bribery, corruption, jobbery, favouritism [and] nepotism, or has absented himself without reasonable cause [in] three consecutive ordinary meetings of the Council,” reads the law in the paragraph pertaining to disqualification.