Account scrutiny a matter of public importance: SC

Three-judge bench says the top court interpreting PPO for the first time


Correspondent May 25, 2017
PHOTO: AP

ISLAMABAD: Scrutinising the bank accounts of political parties is a matter of public importance, the Supreme Court has observed.

“Politicians of the country should be up to the mark,” remarked Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday, as a three-judge bench of the top court resumed hearing of a petition against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

The petition filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi has requested the Supreme Court to disqualify the PTI chief for providing false information to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with regard to party funding.

The bench -- headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar -- observed that it is going to be the first time the top court was interpreting the Political Parties Ordinance 2002. “If there is an ambiguity in the law, how can the court declare that declaration by the head of a political party is false?” he wondered.

Imran submits money trail to Banigala land, London flat

During the hearing, PTI chief’s counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan submitted that if the court allowed the ECP to determine account details of one political party, the floodgates would open for more litigation.

“The ECP had earlier accepted PTI’s statement regarding the sources of foreign funds and allotted election symbol in the 2013 general election. Now they can’t review the matter,” he argued. “The proceedings are of a penal nature.”

Responding to the PTI counsel’s plea, the chief justice remarked that there would be no discrimination against the party. “If the ECP is asked to examine the PTI’s accounts, the same will apply to all [political] parties,” he said.

He also asked the PTI chief’s counsel whether those holding dual nationality could become a member of a political party. To this, the counsel relied that there was no bar on a dual national becoming a member of a political party.

The chief justice then observed that if overseas Pakistanis could become members of political parties in Pakistan, then they could also make donations. These Pakistanis, he remarked, had deep love and affection for their homeland as they were living abroad due to some compulsion.

PML-N attorney finds holes in Imran’s money trail

The chief justice also said that presently they were adjudicating 12 petitions seeking vote right for overseas Pakistanis.

The PTI chief’s counsel submitted that PML-N’s Abbasi had come before the Supreme Court with unclean hands because the PML-N was itself registered as a company in the UK for collecting funds. The bench then asked if the funds had been transferred to Pakistan or not.

The counsel said that besides the PTI, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had also set up companies in the US in a move either to raise donations or funds, adding that those political parties were registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, 1938.

He submitted that the PTI US LLC was part of the PTI which was collecting contributions on their behalf. After the conclusion of arguments by Anwar Mansoor Khan, Naeem Bukhari will resume his arguments today (Thursday).

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