SNGPL board election stayed.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court on Monday stayed the election of board of directors (BoD) of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) scheduled to be held on Tuesday (today).

Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the stay order on a petition filed by Wasim Majid Malik, a practicing lawyer and a shareholder of the SNGPL. The petitioner also filed his nomination papers, which were accepted, and consent form to contest the elections and to act as a director of the company.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Saad Amir contended that 20 candidates filed their intent to contest the election.

However, he said, the list of the candidates included the persons, nominees of federation of Pakistan, not eligible to contest the election under the Companies Act 2017.

The counsel argued that the federation could not nominate directors to contest the election as only the members of the SNGPL were eligible to contest the election. He said the government`s practice of `nomination for election`, had no meaning or basis in the law.

He further argued that if the government opts to nominate directors under section 165(1)(b) of the Act it must do so categorically and transparently and prior to elections being conducted, as these nominations will determine the number of directors which are to be elected to the board.

He said failure to disclose in advance the number of the...