Sindh High Court allows Palwasha to contest Senate polls

KARACHI – The Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed on Monday an appeal challenging the acceptance of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) candidate Palwasha Khan’s nomination papers for the Senate elections.

A two-member bench of the SHC headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and comprising Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, heard the appeal filed by Indus Lawyers Forum. 

During the hearing, the appellant’s lawyer Aqib Rajpar , argued that Palwasha misrepresented assets. “So you go to Articles 62 and 63,” Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar replied. 

The court remarked our jurisdiction is limited at this time. Many things we cannot hear in the writ, Justice Mazhar observed. 

The petitioner’s lawyer contended before the court that the PPP candidate got her vote transferred to Karachi through falsification to contest the Senate polls from Sindh. At this, the court observed that there exits law that allows vote transfer. “How a person could be disqualified through a writ petition?” asked the bench. “How did vote transfer from Punjab to Sindh violate the law?”

This court is not an appellate tribunal to examine documents, Justice Mazhar observed. The court rejected petition against Palwasha and declared her eligible for Senate election. The Election Tribunal had rejected a plea against the acceptance of Palwasha Khan’s nomination papers for the Senate elections. Later, an appeal challenging the tribunal’s verdict was filed before the SHC. The petitioner stated that Palwasha Khan got her vote transferred from Punjab to Karachi overnight to contest the Senate elections on a reserved seat for women from Sindh. The vote transfer is a violation of Article 220 and 226 of the Constitution, he said.

SHC halts NAB from arresting former CM Sindh 

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday halted National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from arresting former chief minister Sindh Sayed Qaim Ali Shah in a reference pertaining to abusing his powers while being CM Sindh. Fearing of possible arrest by NAB, the former CM Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah approached the SHC for bail before arrest. A two-member bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Iqbal Kalhoro, heard the plea moved by former CM Sindh and approved his interim bail against the surety bond of Rs100,000. 

During the hearing, former CM stated in an innocent way that: “Sir, I am a poor man, keep the bail money a little less.” At which the bench replied, ‘but you have been the CM’. The NAB had issued a call-up notice to former CM in alleged illegal appointments. The former CM stated that he will cooperate with NAB in probe.