Petitioner questions legality of MQM’s referendum
On Wednesday, the SHC put off the hearing of the petition by Haji Gul Ahmed.
KARACHI:
As the Muttahida Qaumi Movement rescheduled its referendum from November 8 to November 14, the Sindh High Court put off the hearing of a petition challenging the legal status of the referendum till November 13.
MQM had announced to hold a referendum across the country on Thursday to ask people whether they would like to live in a Pakistan run by the Taliban or the one envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam. But due to the dates of IDEAS 2012 - the country’s most prominent arms fair - referendum was rescheduled.
On Wednesday, the SHC put off the hearing of the petition by Haji Gul Ahmed as the legal work was suspended in the courts following demise of a senior lawyer.
Ahmed had challenged the legal status of the referendum by filing a petition in the SHC. The respondents in the petition include National Assembly speaker, Senate Chairman, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, and MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar.
Petitioner maintained that according to Articles 5 and 48 of the Constitution, only the prime minister is empowered to conduct a referendum after he/she seeks approval from the parliament in its joint session.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2012.
As the Muttahida Qaumi Movement rescheduled its referendum from November 8 to November 14, the Sindh High Court put off the hearing of a petition challenging the legal status of the referendum till November 13.
MQM had announced to hold a referendum across the country on Thursday to ask people whether they would like to live in a Pakistan run by the Taliban or the one envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam. But due to the dates of IDEAS 2012 - the country’s most prominent arms fair - referendum was rescheduled.
On Wednesday, the SHC put off the hearing of the petition by Haji Gul Ahmed as the legal work was suspended in the courts following demise of a senior lawyer.
Ahmed had challenged the legal status of the referendum by filing a petition in the SHC. The respondents in the petition include National Assembly speaker, Senate Chairman, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, and MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar.
Petitioner maintained that according to Articles 5 and 48 of the Constitution, only the prime minister is empowered to conduct a referendum after he/she seeks approval from the parliament in its joint session.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2012.