ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday handed out a fine of Rs50,000 on Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for repeatedly seeking adjournment of disqualification proceedings against him.
The commission also directed him to appear in-person in the next hearing.
The ECP has been since January 2020 hearing the claim against Vawda seeking his disqualification for purportedly holding dual nationality at the time of filing of nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.
Presiding over the proceedings, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said that the case has already been delayed, reprimanding the defense counsel for indulging in delaying practices.
As the hearing resumed Tuesday, assistant defence counsel, Hasnain Ali Chohan, sought an adjournment due to the engagement of Vawda’s counsel, Muhammad bin Mohsin, in a Lahore court.
At this, a member of the ECP asked him: “In which capacity have you appeared, you don’t even have the power of attorney.”
Another member, Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, said that the lawyer has not attached any evidence in this regard and the minister’s attorney should have managed his time with the court.
On this, the petitioner, Qadir Mandokhel, responded to Chohan, saying: “You are the minister’s coordinator in Karachi.”
CEC Raja said that the minister was supposed to respond to questions regarding his dual nationality in the hearing.
“If the defendant failed to respond on the next haring, the ECP will itself approach the US Consulate for details,” the CEC said and adjourned the hearing till February 24.
