Daily Times

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentarian Sohail Anwar Siyal submitted a reply in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on a petition seeking his disqualification for holding an Iqama (work permit).

A two-member bench presided over by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar heard petitions seeking the disqualification of Siyal, Faryal Talpur and Manzoor Wassan among several others for holding Iqamas and not disclosing them in their nomination papers.

During the hearing, Abdullah Hunjra, the law officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted his reply in the court. However, the two-member panel expressed dissatisfaction with ECP’s reply and said, “We have seen your reply and it says nothing. What is in a one-page reply, we know what work you are doing.” Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar further said, “We asked for a detailed response but you submitted a one-page reply to simply fulfil your responsibility.” “Are such replies suitable enough to be submitted in court,” inquired the bench further.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel insisted that since Talpur’s lawyer Farooq Naik did not appear in court for the hearing yet again, his junior should take the case forward. At this, the bench said, “How can the case move forward when the lawyer is absent? Ask Naik to appear before the court in the next hearing or we will simply separate his case.”

Petitioner’s counsel Advocate Shamsul Islam further contended that since Talpur did not mention her Iqama or assets in Dubai in her reply, she should be barred from holding public office. It is worth mentioning that the petitioner had submitted that Talpur had established a company in her daughter Aisha’s name in 2002 and hid the details from ECP in her nomination papers. Moreover, the petitioner had claimed that that Talpur, Siyal and others were not Sadiq or Ameen as they had submitted fake affidavits.

Meanwhile, Sindh Assembly lawmaker also submitted a response in the court on Tuesday and said that since the petitioner was not a respondent, he could only move the election tribunal as per the Constitution. “The allegations leveled by the petitioner are fabricated and baseless,” he added. Furthermore, Siyal wrote in his reply that he had submitted all his tax documents to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). “I have shared all details in my income tax returns,” said the PPP politician. “There was no column to state whether I hold an Iqama in the declaration form,” he added. The court adjourned the hearing of the petition till October 25.

Published in Daily Times, October 10^th 2018.