PTI funding needs thorough probe: SC

PML-N counsel opposes inquiry, arguing that PTI has admitted collecting funds via prohibited sources in US

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has observed that the allegations levelled by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz that its rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has received funds through prohibited sources need to be investigated thoroughly.

The observation came on Monday from Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar when PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan contended that his client has received no such funds in Pakistan.

The chief justice said the matter needed to be sorted out under a thorough inquiry. He added that two matters needed to be resolved: one, whether or not the PTI has received funds through prohibited sources; and two, which competent authority or forum should probe into the matter.

Akram Sheikh, the counsel for PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi, submitted that there was no need for an inquiry as the respondent, i.e. the PTI, itself has admitted that funds had been collected via prohibited sources in the United States, but they were not remitted to Pakistan.

Earlier, the PTI claimed that funds had been collected by its agent but not remitted to Pakistan and rather used by him for personal purpose in the United States.

However, Sheikh contended that the PTI did not take any action against the agent who had collected funds from prohibited sources in the US.

When the bench asked the petitioner’s counsel if that agent had violated the PTI chairman’s directions and collected such funds in the US, he stated that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had been executed over an allegation that he ordered killing someone. But, Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked the counsel to avoid citing such an example.



The counsel claimed that the list of donors provided by the PTI to the court was not available on the website of the Foreign Agents Regulatory Authority (FARA) of the United States. He alleged that the PTI has submitted forged documents in the case, excluding names of foreigners and multinational companies who made donations to the party.

“This shows that these lists are figments of their own imagination” to cover the gaps identified by him, he contended.

He also stated that the PTI has never denied that it did not collect any donation from corporations and foreigners instead it stated that funds remitted to the PTI Pakistan since 2010 and afterwards contained no prohibited funding.

“So they have not denied [it and the list] contains substantial number of corporations, foreigners and ghosts entries collectively,” he said.

The bench wondered why the party allowed the agent to collect funds from prohibited sources.

It also observed that although laws and rules did not provide for publicity of liabilities and assets of legislators, it was carried out by the ECP to ensure transparency.

The CJP observed it was provided by the law that every political party “shall account for [their finances] and the process shall be conducted by the ECP”.

He asked the PTI’s counsel what would be his position if the matter was referred to the ECP under Article 184(3) of the Constitution; and why the court should appoint its own commission to probe the matter, rendering the ECP redundant.

The PTI counsel replied that the ECP was not allowed to investigate the party funding’s audit report at this point in time.

The case was adjourned till Tuesday (today).