ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the two-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) accepted the written apologies submitted by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Minister Railways Azam Swati. Both ministers had submitted their apologies in writing to the ECP after being asked by the electoral watchdog to do so.
Nisar Ahmed Durrani headed the bench for the ECP.
Chaudhry and Swati had lambasted the ECP during the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on September 10. Swati had said that the ECP should be set on fire as it was always involved in rigging, while Chaudhry had accused the ECP of accepting bribes for rigging elections. The ECP officials had walked out of the meeting soon after he made the derogatory remarks.
Both the ministers received the show-case notice from the ECP on October 27. The minister for information then apologised on November 16 and was directed to submit a written apology as well. On December 3, minister railways submitted his written apology.
Swati appeared at today’s hearing where ECP warned him to not make such comments in future.