ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday restored Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar as convener of the party, while dismissing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s earlier decision of removing him from the position.
On Wednesday, Farooq Sattar had challenged the ECP verdict through his counsel Advocate Babar Sattar pleading that the decision regarding intra-party elections and MQM’s convenership was against the law and hence be declared null and void.
In his arguments on Thursday, Babar Sattar pleaded before the court that according to law the ECP had no jurisdiction over internal matters of a political party. “MQM-P is officially listed under Farooq Sattar’s name at the ECP,” he said. “If another person claims ownership of the party, he has to approach a civil judge … the ECP can’t hear such cases,” he further argued. “If required, we are willing to hold the intraparty elections afresh.”
Justice Aamer Farooq then set aside the ECP order and issued notices to Sattar’s rivals – Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Kanwar Naveed Jamil – to submit their response. The hearing has been adjourned till April 11.
Published in Daily Times, March 30th 2018.
