Dr Naveed Mahar complains of impartiality on part of the returning officer. PHOTO: FILE
Dr Naveed Mahar is a resident of Lakhi Ghulam Shah and had filed nomination papers for two seats: one for the membership of the union council, Fateh Tando, and the other for the membership of town committee, Chak. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Mahar said that last year, when the schedule for the local government elections was announced, he had filed nomination papers for the union council and town committee membership. He added that the returning officer at that time had rejected his nomination form for the union council membership, saying that a candidate cannot file nomination papers for both the union council and town committee memberships at the same time.
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He said that he challenged his orders in the Shikarpur district and sessions court. The court, after hearing the case, had set aside the order of the returning officer, saying that there is no provision in the law barring a candidate from contesting on two separate seats. The complainant produced the court order to effect, dated January 10, 2014. Mahar claimed that both of his nomination forms were then accepted by the respective returning officers and he was informed accordingly. But, on the very next day, his nomination papers at union council, Fateh Tando, were rejected due to political influence, he added.
According to Mahar, Lakhi Ghulam Shah taluka has been under the influence of landlords and waderas since decades, who do not want anyone to contest elections against them or their relatives. Mahar works with a non-governmental organisation and has his own business, too.
He said that he is a law-abiding citizen and has never defaulted in paying dues, including utility bills and income tax. Expressing his anxiety over the plight of the people of the Lakhi Ghulam Shah, he said that nothing has changed in this particular taluka of Shikarpur and the people do not have the guts to oppose the influential.
"The local government system is meant to bring positive change at the grass-root level, but these landlords and waderas are powerful enough to usurp the rights of the people by fielding their own men," said Mahar. "They are not ready to allow any educated and sincere person to contest elections against them or their men as they want to maintain the status quo in the area."
When contacted, the returning officer of Fateh Tando union council, Ghulam Yasin Shujra, refuted the claims of the candidate and said that his papers were rejected on the grounds that a candidate cannot contest elections on the union council and town committee, simultaneously.
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Replying to the question that the candidate had produced court's orders in this regard, he said that he does not know about that. He further declined that he had rejected his papers under any kind of influence.
Meanwhile, Mahar has once again filed a petition in the Shikarpur district and sessions court, and is hopeful of favourable orders.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2015.
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