MUZAFFARABAD (NNP) The court of senior civil judge here on Thursday restrained the Central Press Club’s controversial executive body and election commissioner from proceeding with its annual elections after allegations surfaced regarding the removal of 29 members from the electoral rolls.
The interim relief was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by Sohail Mughal, a presidential candidate, and 28 other affected members. Apart from Mr Mughal, many other plaintiffs, such as Syed Afaq Hussain Shah, Tariq Naqash, Roshan Deen and Basharat Mughal, are long-standing members who have previously held key offices, including president and secretary general, in the institution.
According to the petitioners, the current management had failed to uphold the spirit of a recent High Court judgment, which had disposed of an appeal on December 26 to pave the way for the institution’s elections.
Instead, they alleged, the management unlawfully stripped 29 journalists, many with memberships spanning over three decades, of their voting rights.
The plaintiffs claimed that despite repeated requests, the management refused to provide a voters’ list. However, they managed to obtain a copy from their own sources, which confirmed the exclusion of the 29 members.
The petitioners further accused the management of withdrawing over Rs1.5 million from the club’s bank account to influence voters. They also described the ongoing election process as a sham aimed at consolidating the illegal occupation of the institution’s assets.
The court found the claims substantial and directed the election commissioner and the acting office bearers, including the president and the so-called secretary general, to appear on Saturday.
Until further orders, the court barred the management from holding elections or conducting any related proceedings and prohibited the withdrawal of funds from the club’s bank account.
Last year, the same group had held elections in defiance of a stay order issued by the district and sessions judge, following the removal of three bona fide members from the rolls.
The result of that process was suspended by the High Court.
