The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday accepted the apologies of Federal Minister for Railways and PTI leader Azam Swati and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for accusing it of accepting money from the electronic voting system (EVM) manufacturers.
Swati appeared before the ECP, where he was pardoned and warned to be cautious in future. “You have more responsibilities,” the ECP stated.
The ECP also questioned the minister’s absence from earlier hearings. “You are a busy man, why didn’t you appear in the previous hearings?” inquired the ECP. Swati remarked that he had always advocated for the independence of the ECP, says a news report. “All the institutions are yours; it is not appropriate to talk bad about them,” the ECP remarked.
Azam Swati and Fawad Chaudhry were warned by the ECP to exercise caution in future. Swati expressed gratitude to the ECP for accepting his apology. He stated that the ECP will make sound judgments regarding EVMs and that the government will support them in order to bolster the ECP. Barrister Ali Zafar, Azam Swati’s lawyer, stated that they had apologised for what occurred in the past and now they must collaborate with the ECP.
The ECP had served notices on Fawad and Swati on September 16, seeking explanations from both ministers for accusations against the CEC Sikander Sultan Raja and the Commission. Swati had lashed out at the ECP, accusing it of taking money from companies that make electronic voting machines during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on September 10.
