SHC hears JI plea against election of Mayor Karachi

KARACHI: Advocate General Sindh told the Sindh High Court on Thursday that the mayor has been elected and a notification to this respect issued by the election commission, ARY News reported.

AG Sindh Hassan Akbar and other counsels appeared before the high court in the hearing of a Jamaat Islami petition, seeking declaration of the election of Murtaza Wahab as Karachi mayor by the election commission as unconstitutional on the ground that he is not a directly elected representative of the people.

Petitioner argued that allowing an unelected person to contest the election for the mayor and deputy mayor, was against the spirit of the constitution and the local government laws.

The petitioner’s counsel Tariq Mansoor said the amendment could not be enforced retrospectively when the second phase of the local bodies’ elections had been completed.

The court was pleaded to declare the amendment in the local government law as well as the election of mayor as unlawful and unconstitutional.

The bench issued notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan and other parties on three new petitions.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case until the first week of August.