ISLAMABAD: Federal Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda has paid a fine of Rs 50,000 that was imposed on him by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for his continued absence in dual-nationality case, and has also tendered apology to the Commission for not attending the Commission’s proceedings.

However, the Minister remained absent from the ECP case hearing on Wednesday too and was represented by his Counsel Advocate Muhammad Bin Mohsin. He informed an ECP bench that Minister could not be present at the case hearing due to his mother’s ailment in Karachi. The Counsel also informed the Commission of having deposited the fine and sought unconditional apology from ECP on behalf of Vawda.

The ECP directed that the fine amount be given to Pakistan Sweet Home. The ECP dismissed the Minister’s plea challenging the jurisdiction of ECP to hear the case and maintainability of the case. The ECP summoned Vawda on March 10 and adjourned the case till then.

On February 9, ECP imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Vawda for his continued absence in Dual-nationality case and warned that the verdict in the case would be announced on February 24 in case the Minister “kept shying away from the case.”

A five-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising of all the four ECP members came down hard on an ‘associate’ of Vawda’s counsel Muhammad Bin Mohsin who was absent from the case proceedings. Mohsin, Vawda’s counsel, was represented by one of his associates without having power of attorney to do so.

This did not go down well with the ECP. “It seems that the Minister is not serious in pursuing this case. We have had enough. We would not tolerate this kind of attitude anymore. There is a limit to seeking adjournments. He just cannot skip the proceedings on every occasion citing lame excuses,” said CEC, before the case was adjourned till February 24.

The CEC warned that the verdict in Dual-nationality case would be issued in case the minister or his counsel remained absent and failed to furnish reply by the next hearing.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

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