KARACHI: Sessions judges in Karachi have been stopped from administering oath to the Karachi mayor and deputy mayor. All the sessions judges could not get clearance from the Sindh High Court. The oath-taking ceremony of the district chairmen and vice-chairmen is also not possible.
Our correspondents add: Waseem Akhtar, the city’s imprisoned mayor-elect, was likely to be in attendance at Tuesday’s (today) oath-taking ceremony for local government officials, after a district and sessions judge passed orders on Monday for Akhtar to be brought from jail for the ceremony.
The order was issued by District and Sessions Judge (South) Imdad Khoso and Akhtar, who has been behind bars since last month, is now expected to be brought for the swearing-in by police officials.
On the day of final polling for mayors and chairpersons, Akhtar had arrived at the KMC offices in an armoured police vehicle after the Election Commission of Pakistan issued orders for him to be allowed to cast his vote.
In the current scenario, the most pressing question remains regarding Akhtar’s functioning as mayor and, according to sources, he may be provided necessary facilities at the Central Jail or be released on parole. If it is the former and Akhtar is provided an office in prison, the mayor would be legally permitted to pass directives and to chair council sessions via video link.
Meanwhile, two separate petitions calling for mayor-elect Waseem Akhtar to be barred from taking oath of office were filed with the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court on Monday. The petitions were filed separately in the SC and SHC by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Faisal Vawda and Mohammad Shahid Ghori, both contending that MQM’s elected mayor, Waseem Akhtar, was under arrest for terrorism cases and could not possibly perform his duties and functions fairly, nor protect the rights of citizens.
The petitioners submitted that Akthar was also involved in the May 12, 2007 carnage and that he was incapable of acting as the mayor of Karachi. They added that in case Akhtar was allowed to take oath and assume the mayor’s office, his appointment would affect the liberty of Karachi’s people.
Both petitions call for Akhtar to be barred from taking charge as mayor until he can successfully clear himself of all criminal charges. The courts were requested to declare Akhtar unfit to be sworn in as the mayor of Karachi and restrain him from holding office till the legal proceedings against him were concluded.
