Daily Times

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Friday filed an election petition in an appellate court regarding the rejection of his nomination papers for NA-245.

In his petition, Sattar requested the Sindh High Court (SHC) appellate tribunal to turn over the Returning Officer’s (RO) decision with reference to his papers.

Farooq Sattar’s nomination papers were rejected earlier on June 19 by RO Ahsan Khan from NA-245. Khan stated that Sattar had not mentioned that he was an absconder in two cases in his nomination papers.

While talking to reporters after filing the petition, Farooq Sattar said that he was hopeful that his nomination form would be accepted once the tribunal took up his plea.

Sattar told the media that MQM was intentionally cleaved by powers that be. He stressed on the need for a transparent election and said that cheating would not be tolerated.

Speaking about Karachi, Sattar said “There needs to be be a parity of resources in Karachi since if Karachi runs well, entire country will run well”, said Sattar. “Whatever I had, I have given it to MQM-P”, he added.

A day earlier, Sattar was granted bail in two cases after paying a sum of Rs20,000 for each of the two cases. He had been booked along with other party leaders for protesting against water shortage and violating the Loudspeaker Act.

In the court, the MQM-P leader was surrounded by fans who showed their support for the leader and took photographs with him. “Each selfie will be for 250 votes,” quipped Sattar on the occasion.

Sattar had submitted nomination papers from three constituencies in Karachi, NA-241, NA-245 and NA-247, to contest the upcoming general election.

Published in Daily Times, June 23^rd 2018.