Wahida Shah’s case: Court overturns verdict of summary trial

I was optimistic about getting justice from the courts, says Wahida.

HYDERABAD:

Syeda Wahida Shah Bukhari, who was caught on camera assaulting polling staff during the by-elections, won one of her two ongoing court battles on Wednesday.

A district and sessions court overturned the punishment of her summary trial which was conducted by the returning officer Asghar Ali Siyal.

The 6th Additional District and Session judge, Shahid Pervez Memon, announced the order which he had reserved on the last hearing. The RO had imposed Rs1,000 penalty or a day’s imprisonment on her. If convicted, she would have been disqualified from contesting the elections.

“I was optimistic about getting justice from the courts,” said a triumphant Shah, who won the February 25 by-elections on PS-53 constituency in Tando Muhammad Khan.

She is fighting two separate lawsuits in the district and sessions court and the Sindh High Court (SHC). In the latter case, she has challenged the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan which disqualified her from contesting the elections for two years and also nullified the results of February 25 by-polls in Tando Muhammad Khan. “The outcome of this case will make her plea in the SHC stronger,” contended advocate Hyder Imam Rizvi, Shah’s counsel. The SHC, which earlier stayed the April-26 by-polls in the 53- constituency on the request of Shah, adjourned the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2012.