Returning officers told to comment on plea against rejection of PPP, PSP forms

An election tribunal on Tuesday issued notices to returning officers over a petition of candidates affiliated with the Pakistan People Party (PPP) and the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) challenging the rejection of their nomination forms for National Assembly constituencies in Karachi.

PPP candidate Abdul Qadir Patel and PSP candidate Waseem Aftab had approached the election tribunal against the rejection of their nomination forms for the NA-248 (West-I) and NA-246 (South-I) constituencies in the city.

The petitioners’ counsel told the election tribunal that his clients had submitted all the requisite details in their respective nomination forms, but the returning officers still rejected them. The PPP and PSP candidates requested the court to set aside the returning officers’ decision and direct them to approve the nomination forms for contesting the July 25 general elections.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, the election tribunal issued notices to the relevant returning officers and told them to submit their respective comments on June 21.  

Price hike

The Sindh High Court directed the finance ministry to file comments on a petition seeking the promotion of social and economic well-being of the people as well as the details of loans being borrowed by the government.

Petitioner Bisma Noreen told the high court that Article 38 of the Constitution guarantees the promotion of social and economic well-being of the country’s citizens, but the government has failed to implement it in letter and spirit.

She said the government has been borrowing loans from international banks and imposing extra taxes on the people. She sought the implementation of Article 38 of the Constitution and the details of the government’s internal and external loans.

The section officer of the finance department appeared before the court and sought time to file comments. The court then directed the finance ministry to file comments on the petition and adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed later by the office.