Indictment of PTI founder, Fawad in contempt of ECP case deferred till Dec 27
Pakistan
The hearing was adjourned after Fawad filed an application for open trial of the case
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – 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 TRIAL
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. The PTI leaders had also sought from the high courts a declaratory relief from the charges.
But in January, the Supreme Court allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against the three, and on June 21, the ECP decided to frame charges against the them, which has yet to be done.
Fawad was arrested on Nov 4 in a corruption case and has been in custody ever since.
At the previous hearing, the ECP had announced that it would indict them in jail and asked the Ministry of Interior to make necessary arrangements in this regard.
