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KARACHI: The Sindh High Court issued letters to the election commission and other parties on Monday after hearing a PTI plea seeking a restraining order against holding a mayor’s election in Karachi.
Later, a date for the case’s next hearing will be determined.
Zeeshan Zaib, the UC Chairman and a PTI member has petitioned the high court to challenge Karachi’s mayoral election.
The mayor’s election is taking place as the UC chairs are taking their oaths, the court noted. The bench questioned the petitioner’s attorney, “How could a UC chairman represent the entire party?” “The party’s authority letter has not been annexed with the petition,” the court observed.
“Petitioner union committee chairman has also been detained after filing the petition,” the lawyer retorted. After May 2009, a crackdown against the PTI was launched, the attorney added. He claimed that certain PTI leaders had gone into hiding while others had been arrested.
“Under these conditions, the mayor’s election has been declared. The date for the mayor’s election will be issued by the election commission on May 22,” a PTI counsel informed the court.
He pleaded for a restraining order against the poll and stated that “about 40 PTI council members could not participate in the election in the current situation.”
The appeal now includes the Pakistani Election Commission as well as other parties.
