Appeals of Farooq Sattar, Fehmida Mirza, Wasim Aftab approved

MQM-P leader calls for respecting choice of Karachi's voters

KARACHI: Appellate tribunals have approved the appeals of several political leaders, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan's (MQM-P) Dr Farooq Sattar, Grand Democratic Alliance's Fehmida Mirza and Pak Sarzameen Party's (PSP) Wasim Aftab, whose nomination papers had earlier been rejected by returning officers (RO).

Aftab, whose nomination papers were rejected from NA-249, was allowed by a bench to contest the upcoming elections. Another PSP candidate, Sheikh Abdullah, was also allowed to contest the polls from PS-152.

Dr Sattar's nomination papers for NA-245 were rejected after it emerged that he had been named as an absconder in two FIRs. After finding that he had not disclosed that in his affidavit, the RO had rejected his papers. However, his appeal was approved on Tuesday by an election tribunal at the Sindh High Court.



Nomination papers of former National Assembly speaker Fehmida Mirza had earlier been rejected for reserved seats for women. However, her appeal was approved by a tribunal on Tuesday. During the hearing, the bench reprimanded the Election Commission's lawyer for not attending the hearing that had been scheduled a day earlier. The lawyer replied that he was out of the city and the other date of hearing was not in his knowledge.

Meanwhile, a tribunal rejected the appeal of an Awami National Party candidate, Aurangzeb Khan, and maintained the RO's decision. He had submitted his nomination papers for NA-249. Appeals of MQM-P candidate Akram for PS-122 and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Munawar Raza for NA-250 were also rejected as their proposers and seconders did not belong to the respective constituencies.

Farooq Sattar's media talk

Supporters of Dr Sattar made selfies with him in celebrations after the tribunal's verdict in his favour. The MQM-P leader asked his supporters to cast votes for him in the polls.



Speaking to the media, Dr Sattar commented on the PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif's speech at a public gathering in Baldia Town on Monday. "Shahbaz Sharif sees problems of Karachi only when he comes to the city," the MQM-P leader said.

The talks of turning Karachi into Paris have been made before as well, Dr Sattar retorted. Who are making such promises, where were they when people of Karachi were being deprived of their rights, he asked.

Dr Sattar also accused the Pakistan Peoples Party of trying to steal the mandate of urban Sindh. He called for respecting the choice of Karachi's voters in order to maintain stability in the city.