KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Wednesday sought concluding arguments on identical petitions regarding disqualifications of Pakistan People’s Party leaders Faryal Talpur, and others for allegedly holding Iqamas (work permits) of certain countries till January 14.

A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar expressed its extreme displeasure over failure of the counsels to submit their concluding arguments on four identical petitions seeking disqualification of Faryal Talpur, former provincial minister Manzoor Wasan, Sohail Anwar Siyal and Nasir Hussain Shah.

“The lack of interests of the plaintiffs have proven that how interested are they in the matter,” the bench expressed it while giving its remarks due to the absence of the lawyers in the court.

The court directed the lawyers to submit their concluding arguments in the next or else the court will decide the matter.

In prior hearing, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had submitted a one-page reply which the court had refused it and expressed its annoyance and argued that there was nothing in the short reply

The court directed the ECP to submit a detailed response instead of a one-page reply.

The petitioner Moazam Abbasi had submitted that Faryal Talpur, who is also sister of PPP co-chairman and former President Asif Ali Zardari, was declared a returned candidate from Larkana.

He submitted that Faryal Talpur concealed the UAE based Iqama and the company in her daughter’s name as well as four properties in Dubai which she purchased through her front men, in assets declaration from the ECP and also no disclosure was made in the statement of assets and liabilities even after becoming the legislator. The petitioner’s had earlier submitted arguments submitting that after the concealment of the fact Faryal Talpur was neither righteous nor sagacious in term of Article 63 of the Constitution and is liable to be disqualified from holding public office of MNA.

Last hearing, Talpur’s lawyer Farooq H. Naek submitted that his client did not conceal any facts about holding of Iqama before the Election Commission of Pakistan at the time of filing of the nomination papers.

Mr Naek had concluded his arguments by submitting that his client did not conceal any property or assets from the ECP. He submitted that there is no column in the election nomination papers to mention an Iqama as it is not a citizenship but a residence permit adding his client had cancelled the Iqama prior to filing the nomination papers for the general elections. He submitted that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner had failed to produce any evidence about the ownership of the company and the assets in the UAE.

The court also adjourned hearing petitions of Mohammad Zubair, Mir Punhal Khan Talpur and Mumtaz Ali Chandio who had sought disqualification of the former and present members of the Sindh Assembly including Nasir Hussain Shah, Sohail Anwar Sial, Manzoor Wasan and Mir Nawab Ghaibi Sardar Khan Chandio for concealing the UAE Iqaama and other properties in assets declaration before the Election Commission. They submitted that after concealment of the fact the PPP legislators were neither righteous nor sagacious in terms of Article 63 of the Constitution and liable to be disqualified from holding public office of MNA and MPA.