ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday sought an apology to settle the contempt case against him brought by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
At the hearing, Chaudhry requested that the ECP consider his apology as a resolution, as reported by Express News.
The case was heard by a four-member ECP bench led by Member Sindh Nisar Durrani, with Chaudhry appearing in person. He stated that he had previously issued apologies in three similar cases, asserting, “I have submitted apologies for these cases.” ECP member Justice Ikramullah reminded him that the session was set to frame charges.
During the hearing, Chaudhry implored the ECP to accept his apology. An ECP member however, questioned whether his statements remained consistent outside the commission, asking, “Are you saying the same thing outside as well, or has something changed?”
“These days, you are not paying attention,” Chaudhry responded, adding, “You forget others’ matters, but you remember mine.”
The ECP member noted the presence of witnesses who needed to mark their attendance and the commission adjourned the hearing to December 10, 2024.
This incident is not Chaudhry’s first encounter with a contempt case. He had previously offered another apology to the commission on November 12.
It was revealed during that hearing that it was Chaudhry’s third apology in contempt proceedings initiated by the ECP.
Despite his previous apologies, Chaudhry had noted ongoing proceedings against him in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).
It may be noted that the ECP’s provisional cause list issued earlier in the month for November 20 included multiple high-profile cases, including Chaudhry’s contempt case. He was accused of disrespecting the Election Commission and its chief during a media interaction on January 24, 2023.
Additionally, the commission has also scheduled a hearing on November 21 for 48 political parties, including Sunni Ittehad Council and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, which had failed to submit their annual consolidated statements of assets and liabilities for FY24.
