SHC seeks reply from election commission

Gives last warning to authorities for unblocking road in Clifton within 45 days

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court sought on Tuesday replies from the parties on a plea seeking the declaration of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah as ineligible for life.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, was hearing the plea, which claimed that the CM had kept his dual nationality hidden.

According to the plea, the Supreme Court had declared the CM ineligible on May 2, 2013, yet Murad contested a by-election in Jamshoro in 2014.

When the SHC asked the representative of the provincial election commission about the body's stance on the matter, he sought time for consulting other members of the provincial election commission.

At that, the court stated that the case would be heard after the submission of the provincial election commission's reply.

Seeking replies from the provincial election commission and the Sindh government, the court adjourned the hearing till May 25.

Read: SHC orders replacement of ineligible officials

Data theft case

The same bench granted an extension to the federal government for submitting its reply on a plea pertaining to the sale of the sensitive data of 115 million Pakistanis on dark web.

According to the plea, the sensitive data, including contact numbers, residential addresses and national identity card numbers, of Pakistani citizens was put on sale for Rs350 million on dark web.

The deputy attorney general told the court that the Ministry of Information had submitted a reply on the plea, stating that the law for the protection of sensitive data was being framed and the draft for the same had been prepared.

At that, the counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Tariq Mansoor, contended that the legislation was being constantly delayed, further complaining that the relevant authorities had not even introduced a national cyber policy yet.

"This is so even when four major incidents of cyber[crime] have been reported," he said.

Justice Mazhar then asked the deputy attorney general about reasons behind delays in the legislation.

The deputy attorney general attributed the delays to the coronavirus pandemic and assured the court that law would be framed within two to three months.

"A legal draft for the law will be presented before the federal government," he said.

At that, the court granted the federal government an extension for submitting its reply on the plea and formulating the law for data protection.

Last warning

The bench also gave the last warning to the relevant authorities to unblock a road near Khana-e-Farhang, Iran in Clifton within 45 days.

At the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner informed the court that barricades had been on the entire street in question on account of security. This is even when the government had assured of unblocking the road within a month, he added.

In response, the additional advocate general informed the court that administration of Khana-e-Farhang, Iran had sought an extension for making alternative arrangements.

The court remarked that neither the provincial, nor the federal government was willing to take the responsibility of the matter and gave the relevant authorities the last warning to unblock the road. The court adjourned the hearing till June 8.

Read more: SHC gives CCI four weeks to issue notification of census results

Political interference in police

Besides, the bench directed the counsel for the prepared his arguments in a plea pertaining to political interference in the Sindh Police and challenging the Sindh (Repeal of the Police Act, 1861, and Revival of the Police Order, 2002) (Amendment) Act, 2019 in light of a Supreme Court (SC) order issued in connection with the matter.

The court stated that the meetings of the country's IGPs had been called to work on police reforms.

But the SHC should a ruling on it since it a provincial matter, the counsel for the petitioner Faisal Siddiqi contended. He added that the courts had also provided guidelines for empowering the police department.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2021.