SHC issues notices to Sharjeel Memon, ECP on plea seeking his disqualification

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Sharjeel Inam Memon and others on a petition seeking disqualification of Memon for concealing his assets and properties before the ECP.

Petitioner Iqbal Kazmi submitted that Memon, who has also earlier served as the provincial information minister, had concealed his several properties and assets before the ECP at the time of filing his nomination papers. He alleged that the PPP MPA had concealed his several hundred acres of land, gold and investments before the ECP and his statements filed before the ECP from 2013 to 2017 did not reflect his actual assets.

The petitioner requested the SHC to disqualify the PPP MPA for concealing facts of his properties and violating the Article 62 of the constitution.

Death sentence upheld

The SHC on Monday also dismissed the appeal of a convict in a double murder and dacoity case, upholding his death sentence awarded by the trial court.

Munawar, alias Mano David, was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) which found him guilty of murdering two men for offering resistance in a dacoity in the Korangi area.

According to the prosecution, the appellant along with co-accused Imam Bux tried to snatch gold ornaments from Sajjad Ali and his father that they had brought back from a private bank on October 31, 2013. The prosecution alleged that the appellants injured Sajjad’s father on resistance and shot dead Mukhtiar and his neighbour Ayaz Mangi when they came to rescue the injured. Bux also died during crossfire and Munawar was caught red-handed by people in the area and handed him over to the police.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha after hearing the arguments of the case observed that the prosecution had proved its case against the appellant, and dismissed his appeal.

The SHC observed that such incidents need to be discouraged in the city which regrettably are becoming more common day by day and the deterrence sentence was an appropriate one. The high court upheld the death sentence of the appellant, except punishment under anti-terrorism law.