ISLAMABAD: The Election Commissioner of Pakistan (ECP) has sought a reply from the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan in the contempt case, ARY News reported on Thursday.
A two-member commission headed by acting chief election commissioner (CEC) resumed the hearing of complaint against the contemptuous statement by Firdous Ashiq Awan. The complainant Khalid Mehmood also appeared before the commission, however, no representative shown up from the Awan’s side.
Khalid Mehmood said all evidences have been submitted to the ECP office.
ECP member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Justice Retd Irshad Qaiser said the stance was adopted that the statement was a deliberate act.
He added that she had also delivered negative statements against the chief justice as the high court had also confirmed her statement as contemptuous in its written verdict.
Read: IHC accepts Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s apology
The acting CEC Justice Retd Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi remarked that all people are well-aware of statements by the political leaders against the institutions from 2013. He added that attempts were being made to declare the institutions controversial.
Later, the commission issued a notice to Firdous Ashiq Awan and sought a reply from her.
The hearing was adjourned till February 3.
In November, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed contempt petition against Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan for commenting on the “axle load policy” in sharp disparity to a court order. The hearing was presided over by Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb.
The honourable judge binning the contempt of court proceedings against Firdous Ashiq Awan ordered to implement law regarding axle load.
Read: Dr Firdous submits another unconditional apology to IHC
It is to be mentioned here that day before the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Azadi March, the incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had suspended implementation on the National Highway Safety Ordinance, 2000.
Firdous Ashiq Awan was facing a separate contempt of court proceedings in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over her contemptuous statement.
She had been issued a contempt notice for criticizing the judiciary in her press conference last Wednesday. During the previous hearing, the court had accepted her apology but issued her a fresh contempt of court notice for making a statement regarding a pending criminal proceeding.
Awam in her written apology in the IHC had said, she respects every court and judge of the country and has complete faith in the independence of the judiciary.
The special assistant further clarified that she never intended to influence the case of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “I even apologize if there is an impression of influencing the case in any way,” she said in her plea.
