ECP directs scrutiny body to submit report on PTI’s ‘prohibited funding’ case in a week

PTI along with its allies approaches ECP against major opposition parties in country

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday sought the report on to-date proceedings from the scrutiny committee in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) “prohibited funding” case in a week’s time.

The decision on the application pertaining to the alleged threats hurled by the ruling party at petitioner Akbar S Babar was also reserved.

The ECP also reserved the decision on the application regarding continuation of investigation of the PTI funding case by the scrutiny committee or keeping the matter before the commission.

As the proceedings started, Babar’s counsel Ahmad Hassan maintained that his client was still a member of the PTI and was being threatened by the ruling party to withdraw the case.

He requested the ECP to provide security to Babar.

The ECP asked the petitioner’s counsel to contact the relevant forums on the issue of threats.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that false cases were being registered against his client and observed that Babar was the only party member who wanted the investigation of the funding conducted for the purpose of transparency.

He expressed doubt that the committee did not want the scrutiny done.

He demanded that the ECP instead of the scrutiny committee should carry out the investigation of the PTI funding case.

Counsel Hassan stated that the PTI had not submitted the details of foreign funding since 2015 and the scrutiny committee was also unsuccessful to obtain the record from the ruling party during the past two years.



“The scrutiny committee could not do anything in more than 60 hearings and there is no hope in future too,” he said.

Responding to the petitioner’s counsel, PTI lawyer Shah Khawar contended that they were following the terms of the reference of the ECP’s scrutiny committee.

He pointed out that the PTI had completed his arguments before the scrutiny committee and stated that now the petitioner had to submit his reply.

He informed the court that the certificates of chartered accountants were appended with the details of the PTI accounts.

“The scrutiny committee is carrying out the scrutiny in accordance with the TORs. The committee cannot move out of its ambit as per the aspirations of the petitioner,” he said.

Referring to additional applications filed by Babar on the alleged PTI funding from “prohibited” sources, the petitioner’s lawyer was asked if the case pertained to foreign funding.

He replied that the case was not about foreign funding but was related to prohibited funding.

He explained that the term foreign funding was adopted by the media and not by them and clarified that prohibited sources could include both local and foreign funding sources.

The PTI counsel argued that the scrutiny committee should be allowed to carry on with its work.

He maintained that the ECP should check whether the committee was working according to the directives of the Supreme Court and following the TORs.

The counsel was of the view that objections on the scrutiny committee at this point were not appropriate.

On the other hand, Babar’s counsel argued that the scrutiny committee was not working in accordance with the TORs.

He maintained that the committee was not taking them onboard while carrying out the investigation and that they were not being provided the record.

He argued that the committee had not identified the sources of illicit funding yet.

Later, head of scrutiny committee Muhammad Arshad appeared before the ECP and stated that he would inform the commission about the status of the case in a week.

When asked when the final report would be submitted, Arshad said that he could not give a date as cross-matching and cross-referencing of PTI accounts continued.

The ECP sought the report on to-date proceedings from the scrutiny committee in the PTI funding case in a week’s time.

The commission also adjourned the hearing of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal’s petition until June 23 regarding making the record of scrutiny committee in PTI funding case public.

The scrutiny committee of the commission was formed in March 2018 to audit the PTI’s accounts from 2009-13.

The committee was initially mandated to complete the scrutiny of PTI accounts in one month. Later the timeframe was extended indefinitely.

Petitioner Babar had filed the case against the PTI in 2014, alleging that nearly $3 million in illegal foreign funds were collected through two offshore companies and that money was sent through illegal “hundi” channels from the Middle East to the accounts of “PTI employees”.

He had also alleged that the foreign accounts that used to collect funds were concealed from the annual audit reports submitted to the ECP.

Meanwhile, the PTI along with its allies approached the ECP against the major opposition parties in the country.

Party’s secretary general Amir Kiyani filed an application with the commission for proceedings against 18 parties.

The ruling party requested the ECP to investigate the accounts of all parties during a period from 2014-2018.

The petition stated that 18 major parties were not following the rules and regulations of the ECP and had not submitted the details of their accounts to the commission.

The parties mentioned in the petition include PML-N, PPP, MQM, PML-Q, JUI-F, BAP, JI and others.

It said that several political parties were “illegally” issued the election symbol during 2018 polls and that these parties had submitted the details of their accounts without the signature of their party heads.

The ECP adjourned the hearing of the case until July 2.