SHC directs ECP to include Saifullah Abro’s name in Senate polls list

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday restored the returning officer’s order with regard to acceptance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s candidate Saifullah Abro and directed the election commission to include the name of PTI candidate in the final list of Senate polls candidates from Sindh on the technocrat seat. The direction came on petition of the PTI candidate against rejection of his nomination papers for the Senate poll technocrat seat by the Senate appellate tribunal of SHC. The appellate tribunal for Senate poll in Sindh had rejected the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s candidate Safiullah Abro for the Senate elections, observing that the PTI candidate did not qualify to fall in the domain technocrat seat.

The petitioner's counsel submitted that the petitioner was qualified to contest the Senate election poll on the technocrat seat as being professional engineer. However, the appellate tribunal rejected the nomination papers in summary proceedings.

He submitted that the petitioner was a professional engineer registered with the engineering council. He also filed details of flyovers and development projects. He requested the court to set aside the returning officer and appellate tribunal's orders and allow the petitioner to contest the poll from Sindh on technocrat seat.

Respondent's counsel opposed the acceptance of nomination paper of Abro, submitting that the returning officer had ignored several objections with regard to the professional achievement of the petitioner. He said that the petitioner had mis-declared his information with regard to his expertise and company. He requested the court to dismiss his petition.

An SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, after hearing the arguments of the counsel, for reason to be recorded later on, allowed the petitioner's petition by restoring the nomination papers for the Senate polls.

The court directed the ECP to include the name of the petitioner in the final list of candidates contesting the election for the Senate polls. The same bench, however, dismissed the petition filed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Abdul Rauf Siddiqui against rejection of his nomination paper for the Senate election on technocrat seat.

The petitioner submitted that since the tenure of BA degree has been increased from two years, the benefit of extended tenure must be extended to his educational qualification. He said that the returning officer and appellate tribunal orders were not based on examination of evidence and their orders be declared without lawful authority and direct the election commission to include his name in the Senate poll candidate list from Sindh.