SHC issues another notice to PPP MNA in dual citizenship case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday repeated notice to Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and his counsel on a petition seeking his disqualification over holding dual citizenship. The petitioner, Dr Pervez Ghaffar, who is a voter of the National Assembly constituency NA-241 District South, had challenged the eligibility of Baig to contest the poll submitting that the MNA had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and was therefore liable to be disqualified.

On Monday, a division bench of the SHC headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi observed that the counsel for Baig had appeared on the previous hearing and undertook to file power of attorney on behalf of the respondent but the needful had not been done yet. The high court repeated notice to the PPP MNA and ordered pasting of notice on his address. The high court also directed the respondent’s counsel to explain why he did not file power despite giving undertaking before the court on the previous hearing. The SHC directed the Election Commission of Pakistan and others to file comments on the petition by May 16 and observed that no further adjournment would be granted in the case.