AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad: A local court has stopped elections of traders in the Blue Area after allegations of unverified voter lists and partiality of the election board.
According to details three traders of Blue Area Muhammad Qasim, Sohail Mehboob and Ch. Muhammad Arshad who was also running for the post of vice president from platform of Capital Unity Group invoked the court of Civil Judge Mazhar.
The petitioners through Ch. Muhammad Jawed Gujar Advocate prayed that All Traders Welfare Association has planned rigging in the elections to get their favourite contestants elected.
An election board has been formed which delayed release of voters list. The list was released on 28th of October in which names of over two hundred traders were excluded intentionally, they alleged.
The plaintiffs also said that many people who were not traders and have nothing to do with Blue Area have been included in the voter lists to get desired results.
“Even labourers have been shown as traders while only owners and tenants of shops having NTN cards can participate in the election process,” the petition said.
The complainants said that they have pointed out the variants in the voters list and requested to delay election until issues are hammered out.
However, they said, the election board refused to grant any request leaving them with no option but to bring law into action.
The court after hearing issued interim relief to the petitioners and called respondents including Chairman Election Board Altaf Gohar, and members Arshad Janjua, Muhammad Afnan, Malik Muhammad Ali, Fayyaz Niaza and Feroz Khan on November 5th.
For more information, contact:
Syed Masood Alam Rizvi
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road, Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: +9221 3587 3691
Fax: +9221 3587 4332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk