ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati after he failed to appear before the regulator to explain his caustic remarks against the body.
The commission served notice on Swati and Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on September 16, asking them to provide within week evidence of the accusations of bribes and always rigging” the elections they had levelled against it and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
Last month, during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs to discuss proposed amendments to the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2021, Swati came down hard on the commission and said it should be “set on fire” for making fun of the government and “ruining” the democracy in Pakistan.
After the minister failed to appear Thursday, the commission while expressing resentment summoned him in personal capacity again on October 26.
Responding to Swati, the ECP rejected his allegations and decided to demand evidence from Chaudhry and him in this regard.
The ECP members have also expressed anger over ministers for accusing them of taking bribes. The allegations are baseless and unacceptable as the ECP is a constitutional department, they said.
However, this was not the first time when the body faced strong criticism and serious allegations from the ruling party. In March as well, the commission after the Senate polls had advised the party to stop mudslinging and come up with evidence if it had any objections to the constitutional requirements, declaring the institution would not succumb to any pressure.
