ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict over maintainability of the appeal of former deputy mayor Karachi Arshad Vohra against his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan, ARY News reported.
The ECP had deseated Vohra over a petition of his former party MQM-P after he switched loyalties to Pak Sarzameen Party.
The former deputy mayor Karachi has challenged March 13 decision of the ECP.
Earlier, the counsel of Arshad Vohra in his arguments said the MQM-Pakistan held controversial intra-party elections and the election commission approved election of Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui as head of the party.
Justice Aamir Farooq remarked that the party could not change with the change of its leader. The counsel of the petitioner said that in the past the PSP, MQM, and MQM-Pakistan were in the fold of same party. “How could it happen when the all parties have their own leaders?, Justice Farooq questioned”
In the hearing on Monday the Justice asked the counsel of the petitioner whether his client (Arshad Vohra) switched the party? “You got ticket from one party and then joined another,” Justice Farooq said.
After August 2016 speech (of the MQM founder) the party was changed. “Nadeem Nusrat issued party ticket to my client”, the counsel of Vohra said.
“Leaving a party to join another affects the previous party or not,” Justice Aamir Farooq asked the counsel.
“How can a party which didn’t issue the ticket seeks disqualification of an official,” Vohra’s counsel asked the court.
According to the election schedule announced by the ECP, the election of Deputy Mayor Karachi will be held on April 18.
Over 302 members of Karachi’s City Council will use their right to vote to elect the new deputy mayor of the city.
Vohra had become the deputy mayor on the ticket of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. He had been elected chairman from the Union Council 49 in local councils elections from Karachi’s central district. Later, he joined Pak Sarzameen Party.
His former party MQM-P sought the election commission to de-seat Vohra for switching loyalty to the Mustafa Kamal-led party.
A five-member bench of the ECP headed by its chief Justice (retd) Sardar Raza heard the petition and announced to deseat the deputy mayor.
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from Pakistan – ARYNEWS http://bit.ly/2Go0ooh
