ECP given until April 20 to respond to plea for Murad's disqualification

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to file its response to a petition seeking disqualification of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah as member of the Sindh Assembly by April 20.

A two-judge bench of the SHC expressed displeasure over the election commission for failing to respond to the petition observing, “It appears that the ECP doesn’t want to submit its response.”

Also Read: ECP, Sindh CM’s reply sought on plea for his lifetime disqualification

An ECP lawyer asked the court for some more time to file its reply. On the other hand, Advocate General Salman Talibuddin argued that the Supreme Court has already handed a verdict on the point raised in the petition which, he said, is not maintainable.

He said the petitioner is in habit of instituting such petitions and requested the court to dismiss it.

Also Read: Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking disqualification of Sindh CM

The petition against the Sindh chief minister stated that Shah had been disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC) on May 2 – 2013 but he contested a by-election in 2014 from Jamshoro. The petitioner pleaded with the high court to disqualify Murad Ali Shah for a lifetime.