By Raza Ruman
Both federal ministers — Azam Swati and Fawad Chaudhry — are in hot waters after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued notices to them for their rant against it.
“Burn down institution like ECP” had said Swati while other alleged it for having received bribes. The ECP has asked the ministers to produce evidence to back their claims against it.
Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati had lashed out at the institution on Friday during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, accusing it of taking bribes to rig polls and saying that such institutions should be “set on fire”.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had alleged that the chief election commissioner (CEC) a “mouthpiece for the opposition”.
The minister said if he received a notice from the ECP, he would give a “detailed reply” to it. He added that individuals were not “immune to mistakes”, and that “criticism is done on individuals’ conduct, not on an institution.”
ECP demands evidence
In a press release issued today after a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and attended by senior ECP officials, the institution said it “objected to and rejected” the accusations against itself and the CEC.
The press release said evidence would be demanded from Swati for the comments he made about the ECP in the standing committee meeting.
ECP has got into action on the scathing remarks of the ministers especially Swati and decided to nail them
The ECP has sought the record from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority as well as all material regarding the standing committee incident and the press conference to be presented before it.
The ECP needs to make example of Swati for his tirade against the institution of ECP.
ONCE Swati like big mouth is penalised no one would dare to insult Pakistan’s institutions. PAK DESTINY
