KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan and others on a petition filed to restrain newly elected president Arif Alvi from taking oath.
A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar conducted hearing on a petition filed by Nawaz Ali Mallah seeking to restrain Arif Alvi from taking oath.
The bench heard initial arguments submitted by the plaintiff, wherein he submitted that the newly elected president Arif Alvi did not fulfill the required formalities while submitting his nomination papers for contesting presidential election.
The petitioner Nawaz Malla, who had submitted his nomination papers for contesting the presidential election, but his nomination papers were refused, has submitted that his nomination papers were rejected without any solid reason.
He pleaded the court to restrain holding oath taking ceremony of the newly elected president until his petition was not decided.
Interrupting the plaintiff, state counsel, Shabbir Shah argued that according to the law proposal and secondar should be elected member of assembly, and the petitioner’s failed to find any parliamentarian as his proposal, thus his nomination papers were rejected by the concern authority.
Addressing the petitioner, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar inquired that how a candidate can file nomination paper without fulfilling the required procedure. The petitioner replied that he can bring two members of assembly to be his proposal and secondar right now.
The bench said that the time of the election has been gone, let the reply from the respondents be submitted that the order will be passed accordance with law.
The petitioner again requested the court to hold oath taking ceremony until the judgment come. The court refused his plea and stated that let the reply come.
After hearing initiate arguments from both sides, the court issued notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and registrar of SHC to submit their reply by September 27.
On September 4, Dr Arif Alvi, the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been elected as the 13th President of Pakistan, and defeated joint opposition candidate JUI-F cheif Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPP candidate Aitzaz Ahsan.
Arif Alvi received 353 electoral votes, Fazlur Rehman 185 and Aitzaz Ahsan 124 votes.