Azam Swati appears before ECP in contempt hearing

ISLAMABAD: Federal Railways Minister Azam Swati appeared before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), over the allegations levelled against the electoral body, ARY News reported on Thursday.

An ECP panel comprises of election commission members Nisar Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi heard the case.

The election commission had served a notice to Swati to appear in person before the ECP in a contempt hearing.

Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Ijaz Chaudhry, Waseem Shehzad, Farrukh Habib, Senator Saifullah Niazi and Shehbaz Gill were also accompanied with Azam Swati to express their solidarity with him.

A large number of the PTI members reached to the rostrum during the election commission hearing. The commission panel directed the party workers to stay away from the rostrum.

“How the charges can be framed without seeing reply of the show causes notice,” Azam Swati’s counsel argued in the ECP hearing.

The panel adjourned further hearing of the case until November 16.

The election commission had served notices to Azam Swati and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry over the allegations levelled against the ECP under the Contempt of Court law.

Earier, the ECP had summoned the two ministers on Oct. 26 and 27.

Azam Swati and Fawad Chaudhry had levelled allegations against the election body for its objection to the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general elections.