RESTRAIN AKHTAR FROM TAKING OATH AS MAYOR, PTI’S VAWDA REQUESTS SHC

PAKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda on Monday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) and requested it to restrain Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Waseem Akhtar from taking oath as the mayor of Karachi.

Vawda filed a petition through his counsel, submitting that Akhtar was serving as the home adviser of the Sindh chief minister when the 12th May mayhem took place.

The PTI leader informed the court that many FIRs had already been registered against Akhtar under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 but now he was being given the authority to govern the metropolis. Vawda contended that if Akhtar took the oath as the mayor of Karachi, he would be in a position to cause unrest in Karachi.

The petitioner submitted that the matter had also been brought to the notice of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), to disqualify him from contesting the election, but it drew a blank.

“Since the newly-elected mayor is behind the bars for his alleged involvement in many terrorism cases it is impossible for him to run Karachi from the prison. He cannot perform his duties and functions fairly and will not be able to protect the rights of the citizens,” he added.

The PTI leader maintained that considering Akhtar’s background and past, his appointment as the mayor would deprive people of liberty as well as freedom of trade would be eroded.

Making the ECP chief, provincial election commissioner, secretary local government and superintendent jail as the respondents, the petitioner prayed to the court to restrain Akhtar from taking oath as the mayor till the decisions of the courts in terrorism cases registered against him.