Action against two PPP MPAs ordered

Mahars of Ghotki are accused of illegally occupying land, desecrating graves, kidnapping

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered registration of FIR against two provincial lawmakers of PPP and taking due action against them for illegally occupying land, desecrating graves and holding a person in illegal confinement.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi heard the petition that submitted that PPP MPAs Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar and Ali Gohar Mahar, among others, occupied eight acres of land in Ghotki. The land included a portion of graveyard, the petitioner said adding that the Mahars vandalised 36 graves and harassed the people for complaining over the highhandedness.

“My client’s nephew, Muhammad Fida Abbas Shah, was also kidnapped,” the counsel for the complainant said. Expressing anger at the police, the court remarked that why did the former SHO ask for evidence? Why did he not read the application which is written in Sindhi. The court ordered to take the plea of the petitioner. If the application is actionable, the court also mandated action against two Sindh Assembly members and others. The judge stated that the petitioners should come to the court if no action is taken. The court ordered the recovery of the hostage and registered a case.

MQM petition

Justice KK Agha heard a petition filed by MQM-P for the constitution of a larger bench to hear its application on the incomplete quorum and legality of Election Commission Pakistan’s actions.

The bench expressed displeasure over the failure of Sindh government to submit its response to petition filed by MQM-P and court sought a response from Chief Secretary.

MQM-P’s counsel Tariq Mansoor Advocate told the court that the petition challenged the election rules and notifications of ECP because the quorum of the commission was incomplete.

He said that ECP’s notification regarding constituencies is also illegal. “When the notification was issued, there were no representatives of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the commission,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2022.