PML-N seeks time from ECP in foreign funding case

PPP counsel Khosa refuses to give CNIC details of local donors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N has sought more time from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for submitting the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers of its donors, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has raised objection over the commission’s scrutiny committee.

PPP counsel Latif Khosa refused to give the CNIC details of local donors and maintained that the ECP scrutiny committee did not have the prerogative to seek the details of local financing and that it could only probe the foreign funding.

“Therefore, PPP would not provide the CNIC details of its donors within Pakistan,” he said.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded that the foreign funding case of three parties could be heard on the same day, while the PML-N filed a petition seeking the proceedings of the scrutiny committee to be covered by media.

PML-N also announced to file another reference against PTI in the reported funding from Texas, United States.

The ECP’s scrutiny committee met in the federal capital to investigate the PML-N's party funding.

PML-N counsel Jahangir Jadoon and petitioner Farrukh Habib appeared before the committee wherein the committee demanded complete details of the party donors along with their CNIC numbers.

The PML-N, however, sought time from the committee to submit the requisite details.

Speaking to media outside the ECP, PTI lawmaker Farrukh Habib said that PML-N did not have any record of its funding.

“The party does not have any record whatsoever for transactions involving billions of rupees,” he said, adding that the PML-N was adopting delaying tactics.

“When the N-League is called for accountability, they try to fee,” he remarked.

Speaking about the PPP, Habib said that Bilawal Bhutto should hold himself answerable for fake accounts.

He said that Bilawal had asked the election commission to announce the verdict of the cases against PTI, PML-N and PPP on the same day.

Meanwhile, speaking to media outside the ECP, PML-N leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha said that Nawaz league did not own any overseas company.

“PTI itself registered a company in the US. Party loyalists from Texas paid millions of dollars for Imran Khan. On February 13, 2011, $19,550 were deposited in the account of PM Imran,” he claimed.

The case has been adjourned till December 11.