RAWALPINDI: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday failed to indict the founder of PTI and former minister Fawad Chaudhry for contempt and adjourned the hearing until Dec 27.
The hearing was adjourned after Fawad filed an application for open trial of the case. He requested the bench that the local and international media should be allowed to cover the trial. Fawad told the bench that they were not provided copies of the case nor were allowed access to documents.
“Without the documents, how can I know what are the charges against me,” Fawad added. Fawad said he has been barred from meeting his lawyers and family.
A four-member bench of the ECP arrived at the Adiala Jail early morning, where they are incarcerated, to charge sheet them.
The ECP had on Dec 6 decided hear the contempt case in jail as the interior ministry denied to produce the former premier before the bench for “security concerns.” The ECP had started contempt proceedings against the former PTI chief, former party leaders Asad Umar and Fawad last year.
However, instead of appearing before the ECP, the three had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in various high courts arguing that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for contempt, was against the Constitution. –Agencies
