Daily Times

Commission also adjourns contempt case against Firdous Ashiq Awan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday adjourned a plea seeking disqualification of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur as member of the Sindh Assembly.

Headed by acting Chief Election Commissioner Altaf Ibrahim, a bench of the commission resumed hearing of the case as lawyers representing the PPP leader and the petitioners turned up before it. Over the course of the hearing, the petitioners’ counsel sought time to file response on the petition. Granting his request, the ECP directed all parties to the case to furnish their replies on the next hearing.

The acting CEC directed them to come prepared on the next date to forward their arguments in the case. At a previous hearing on Nov 5, the commission had issued a notice to Ms Talpur to submit her comments on the petition.

Two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs had moved a petition in the ECP seeking disqualification of Faryal Talpur as member of the provincial assembly.

They stated the PPP leader should be disqualified under Article 62 of the Constitution as she failed to declare details of her assets before the ECP, which means she is no longer ‘Sadiq and Ameen’. Talpur owned properties in Larkana and Shahdadkot, the petitioner stated. They added Talpur has been nominated in a case pertaining to billions of rupees corruption through fake bank accounts and pleaded that she be disqualified as member of the Sindh Assembly.

Firdous

Meanwhile, the ECP on Monday adjourned the hearing of a contempt case against Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan till December 16.

A two-member commission headed by acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) heard the case against Firdous Ashiq Awan while lawyers representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) have also appeared in the hearing.

The acting CEC asked submission of required particulars to carry on proceedings in the petition. A counsel said that the petitioner wanted to make PEMRA a party in the contempt case. PTI lawyer argued that the petitioner has not mentioned the complete reasons for filing the case. The ECP commission asked PML-N lawyer to provide more particular and adjourned the hearing till December 16.