Notices issued on plea for MPA's disqualification in Jokhio murder case.

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Sindh Assembly speaker and others on a petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Jam Awais, who he was pardoned by the legal heirs of Nazim Jokhio for his murder.

Barrister Ali Tahir and his associates moved the SHC stating that the MPA had paid the amount of diyat, or blood money, to minor legal heirs of deceased Nazim Jokhio and it was a form of punishment and admission of guilt and he thus liable to be disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) read with Article 113 of the Constitution.

After a preliminary hearing, a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed put the respondents as well as federal and provincial law officers on notice for a date to be fixed later by its office.

On Jan 12, an additional district and sessions court (Malir) had exonerated the lawmaker and his four servants after they had reached an out-of-court settlement with the victim's legal heirs.

The MPA and his servants were facing charges of torturing 26-year-old Jokhio to death at the lawmaker's farmhouse in Malir on Nov 2, 2021.

Citing the ECP, PA speaker, chief secretary and the PPP lawmaker as respondents, Barrister Tahir contended that on Jan 30, they had sent a legal notice to Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani as it was his constitutional duty to send a reference to the ECP for disqualification of the MPA, who was elected from PS-79 Thatta. However, due to his political expediencies, the same fell on deaf ears, he added.

He argued that the instant writ of quo warranto was filed to question...