To hear or not to hear: SHC questions maintainability of plea seeking dissolution of assemblies

Petitioner claims that up to 60,000 votes cast in last year’s general elections were not verified.

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has questioned the maintainability of a petition demanding the dissolution of the federal and provincial assemblies due to rigging on the election day.

Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, who headed the division bench, took up the matter in the chamber on Friday even after the court hours were over because the petitioner argued that it was an urgent matter.

The petition was filed by Advocate Moulvi Iqbal Haider, who had named Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Election Commission of Pakistan, secretaries of the defence and interior ministries, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairperson Dr Tahirul Qadri and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) chairperson as respondents.

Haider said that the interior minister had reportedly admitted on the National Assembly floor that between 50,000 to 60,000 votes cast at various constituencies on May 11, 2013, could not be verified through the thumb-impressions checks conducted by NADRA.

Advocate Haider, who is also the chairperson of the Awami Himayat Tehrik, claimed that in view of the political crisis that the country is presently faced with, the constitutional machinery has broken down throughout the country. The incumbent federal and provincial assemblies should be dissolved and a national government, comprising all political parties, having the assistance of the armed forces must be formed, he demanded.

Before entertaining the plea, the judges asked the petitioner to argue as to whether the petition is even maintainable for hearing before the SHC. They fixed August 25 for the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2014.