Fehmida, Zulfiqar Mirza allowed to contest polls

The Sindh High Court on Thursday set aside the returning officers’ orders for the rejection of nomination papers filed by Grand Democratic Alliance leaders Dr Fehmida Mirza and her spouse Dr Zulfiqar Mirza from national and provincial assemblies’ constituencies and allowed them to contest the forthcoming polls.

Former National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza and her spouse former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had filed petitions against the rejection of their nomination papers from national and provincial assemblies’ constituencies NA-223 Badin and PS-70, PS71 and PS-72, respectively.

The petitioners’ counsel Shahab Sarki, Wahaj Ali Khan and Taj Mohammad Jamali submitted that the nomination papers of the appellants were rejected on ground of a bank loan default in an early 2003 case, which was not substantial under the law as there was no bank default by them.

They submitted that State Bank of Pakistan also made clear that loans were obtained from a company, not by the petitioners or by any of their dependants.

They said the impugned order of the ROs was illegal and asked the court to set aside the orders of the ROs and election tribunal and direct them to accept their nomination papers.

The counsel for objector Haider Waheed opposed the petitions and submitted that the petitioners had willfully concealed the material liability and they were parties in the civil proceedings, which were decreeed in the favour of the bank.

A high court division bench headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, after hearing the arguments of the counsel and perusal of the record and law produced by the counsel, for reason to be recorded later on, set aside the ROs’ order and directed them to accept the nomination papers of the petitioners from the national and provincial assemblies’ constituencies of Badin.