Ecp Disqualification: Court to hear all Waheeda Shah’s pleas as one

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has asked for all petitions and applications filed by Waheeda Shah to be placed before the judges on the next hearing date fixed on July 17.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Shah had contested the elections from PS-53 in Hyderabad and won the seat.

Later, she was disqualified as a provincial assembly member by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), after she was caught on camera slapping a woman polling official. The video was televised by dozens of television channels and seen by millions of viewers.

On Monday, justices Munib Akhtar and Aftab Ahmed Gorar heard an appeal filed by Shah against the ECP’s decision.

The law officer representing the Election Commission requested the court to adjourn the hearing as the case is being heard by the Supreme Court.

The division bench noted, however, that a number of applications and another petition filed by Shah are pending with the high court.

The court then ordered that all her petitions and applications be tagged and put before the bench that will be heard as one and decided as such.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2012.