ECP directs Minister Railway Azam Swati to submit reply on show cause notice within 15 days

ISLAMABAD:- Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday has conducted hearing on a matter related to leveling accusations of bribe against the commission.

During the proceedings, Railways Minister Azam Swati appeared before the authorities and asked to give him one-month time for submission of reply on show cause. The commission rejected the request and directed him to submit his reply within 15 days.

Subsequently, the hearing has been adjourned till November 11.

Earlier, ECP had issued show cause notice to Railways Minister Azam Swati for not appearing in a matter related to allegations against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The commission expressed resentment and summoned the minister in personal capacity on October 26.

It is to be mentioned here that Azam Swati had leveled serious allegations against the ECP and CEC of taking bribes during elections.

In a session of Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, the minister criticized the commission for making fun of the Parliament.

Later, ECP rejected the allegations leveled by the federal ministers and decided to demand evidence from the Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry regarding his statement.

The ECP members expressed anger over federal ministers for accusing the commission of taking bribes. The allegations are baseless and unacceptable as the ECP is a constitutional department, they stated