Ban Suspended: Waheeda Shah allowed to contest

Court allows her to contest, party refuses her a ticket.

The Supreme court allows PPP electoral candidate Waheeda Shah to take part in upcoming polls. PHOTO: IRFAN ALI

ISLAMABAD:


The Supreme Court on Friday suspended the disqualification of Waheeda Shah, a woman politician from Sindh, and allowed her to take part in the May 11 elections. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, put her disqualification on hold and ordered the returning officer to accept her nomination papers.


Waheeda Shah, who was PPP’s candidate for the 2012 by-polls for the Sindh Assembly seat PS-53 (Tando Muhammad Khan), made headlines in 2012 after she was caught on camera slapping a polling staffer on voting day.


Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had imposed a two-year ban on Shah from taking part in elections and nullified the result of the by-polls. Hence, Shah had to give up the seat she had won.

After the Supreme Court order, Shah announced that she will run for PS-53 as an independent candidate. “My family has served in this constituency and people will vote for me,” she told The Express Tribune.

“The Supreme Court has allowed me to contest the polls – but unfortunately my party has refused to award me a ticket,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2013. 
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