Fawad Chaudhry sides with Sindh govt regarding suspension of MPAs over dog-bite cases

ISLAMABAD:  The Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has sided with the Sindh government over the matter of two PPP MPAs' suspension due to the increasing number of dog-bite cases in their constituencies.

Taking to Twitter, the minister said that such decisions taken by the court are out of the ambit of the Constitution and "clearly violate" it.

"Judicial reform, especially the system of appointment of judges, requires immediate attention," he wrote. 

Fawad's statement came in response to the decision of the Sindh High Court's Sukkur Bench to suspended the membership of PPP lawmakers Faryal Talpur and Malik Asad Sikander from the provincial assembly due to the increasing number of dog-bite cases in their respective constituencies. 

According to a report by Geo.tv, the SHC, in its written order, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to suspend the memberships of the Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Ratodero and Jamshoro. Talpur and Asad were the MPAs elected from those two areas.

“The dog bite cases are increasing rapidly day-by-day, which shows that all the MPAs being elected have failed to provide facilities to the poor people of their constituencies, especially, in aforesaid pointed out Taluka and district. In such a situation, the membership of MPAs elected from Rata dero and Jamshoro is hereby suspended," read the order.

The bench directed that the copy of the order be sent to the provincial election commissioner to issue a notification regarding the suspension of membership of the MPAs.

Apart from the two, the bench also warned that membership of other lawmakers could be suspended if they do not supervise the ongoing drive against dog bites.