Benazir claims reserved Parliament seat

Former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto has moved the Sindh High Court to press her claim to a National Assembly seat reserved for women in the wake of the withdrawal of cases against her.

Karachi, Oct 10 : Former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto has moved the Sindh High Court to press her claim to a National Assembly seat reserved for women in the wake of the withdrawal of cases against her.

Benazir has submitted an application in the court through her advocate Farooq H. Naek, contending she was no longer disqualified due to cases pending against her in accountability courts or her conviction under Section 31-A of the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance for her inability to defend herself.

The application said that Benazir was at the top of her party's list as a candidate for one of the women's seats, and had filed a petition in the Sindh High Court to be declared elected in 2002. However, her petition was contested on account of the cases filed against her and had been pending for five years.

But now, since the cases have been withdrawn, she said the petition be heard urgently and she be declared elected to the National Assembly.

It may be recalled that the newly-promulgated National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has quashed all cases against her, and declared Section 31-A 'ab initio' void.

The NRO has granted amnesty to all politicians, bankers and bureaucrats from all charges relating to misdemeanours, misconduct and misuse of power between 1985 and 2007.

The ordinance applies to all those against whom such allegations are outstanding in courts of law and who have not been convicted.

ANI