KARACHI - Muttahida Quami Movement (Pakistan) has withdrawn its plea seeking disqualification of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.
A division bench of Sindh High Court headed by Justice Khadam Hussain Shaikh on Thursday conducted hearing on a plea filed by MQM leader Mehfooz Yar Khan seeking disqualification of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to take part in the coming general election to be held on July 25.
The court observed that the matter was not related to the election; therefore it must be taken up to the proper forum of law. The court disposed of the plea after the petitioner’s counsel Javid Chhattari advocate, withdrew the plea.
The petitioner, Mehfooz Yar Khan, is contesting election against Bilawal Bhutto from NA 246 (South-I), Lyari, PPP strong held. The petitioner had claimed that Bilawal had failed to disclose details of his assets in the nomination papers.
Similarly, the same bench has conducted hearing on a plea filed by Iqbal Kazmi seeking disqualification of MQM (Pakistan) leader Dr Farooq Sattar for the general election.
Dr Farooq Sattar counsel appeared before the court and pleaded to reject the plea on the ground of non-maintainable; he stated that the petitioner is not a registered voter of his constituency. He added that the petitioner did not file any objection to the returning officer.
The court directed the petitioner to submit further arguments to justify his plea in the next hearing.
In his arguments, the petitioner Iqbal Kazmi pleaded the court to disqualify Dr Sattar from contesting the elections, alleging that he had not disclosed all the facts, including that he was an absconder in cases closed under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Kazmi further alleged that Dr Sattar had hidden details of money borrowed from Khwaja Sohail Mansoor for his land cruiser. He added that the respondent had quoted the cost of his vehicle as Rs9 million, but he had not disclosed the value in the nomination papers. Dr Farooq Sattar is contesting election from NA 245 and 247.