ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court on Friday maintained its stay order against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to remove Dr Farooq Sattar as convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.

IHC judge Aamer Farooq conducted the hearing of the petition moved by Dr Sattar and maintained its earlier decision of suspending the ECP’s decision to remove him as the party’s head till the final adjudication of the plea.

During the hearing, Babar Sattar appeared representing Sattar concluded his arguments while Barrister Farough Naseem represented MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. He will present his arguments at the next hearing on April 16.

Babar Sattar contended that the ECP did not have the jurisdiction to interfere in a political party’s internal affairs. He maintained that since the MQM-P was registered under Farooq’s name, the ECP did not have the authority to hear cases of another person who claims to be party’s convener.

In the petition, Dr Sattar had adopted that he was the convener and party leader of MQM– P and he was illegally removed as the convener on February 11 by some members of Central Coordination Committee of the party and the illegal removal was confirmed by the ECP through its order on March 26. He has prayed to the court to declare the said orders unconstitutional and illegal and in contravention of the fundamental rights of the petitioner.