PTI chief Imran Khan. PHOTO: File
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to scrutinise the foreign-funding details of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but said that the record will not be made public until a related matter remains pending with the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
On Monday, a four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza, said that the top election body would conduct a detailed evaluation of the financial record provided by the PTI last month.
The bench is seized with the foreign funding case against the PTI. On Monday, Saqlain Haider, the counsel for the PTI, sought adjournment on the ground that the PTI’s petition against the scrutiny of its financial details was pending with the IHC.
ECP orders PTI to produce financial record by Sept 7
The lawyer told the bench that the hearing of the PTI’s petition in the IHC was set for December 5. Arguing that the matter was sub judice, Haider demanded immediate adjournment of the case until the IHC gave its judgment.
On the other hand, Syed Ahmed Hassan, counsel for the petitioner, Akbar S Babar, questioned the credibility of the records submitted by the PTI before the Supreme Court and the ECP.
He termed the record incomplete and mostly forged, which, according to him, contained “no bank statements or money trail or details” of the funds collected and remitted from Canada, Australia, the Middle East and Europe, including the United Kingdom.
After hearing both sides, the CEC said that the ECP would scrutinise the funding details of the PTI. However, he added that the details would not be made public since the matter was pending before the IHC.
On September 18, the PTI submitted its financial records for seven years to the ECP on the orders of the IHC. The PTI lawyer had requested the ECP at that time that the documents should not be shared with the petitioner.
PTI concealed foreign fund information: ECP
The CEC had remarked that the documents once submitted were public record. However, he instructed the ECP’s director general finance to open the sealed papers in the presence of a PTI representative and scrutinise them.
Akbar S Babar had filed the case against the PTI in November 2014. In January, the ECP served contempt notice to PTI Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly using derogatory remarks against the top electoral commission.
In August, the PTI challenged the contempt proceedings in the IHC. The court has reserved judgment in the case while the ECP has issued non-bailable warrant for Khan’s arrest in connection with contempt proceedings.
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