Scrutiny panel takes up foreign funding case against PML-N, PPP

A scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday summoned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) again on July 24 over alleged illegal funding, while referred the matter of similar nature against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to the ECP.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member of the National Assembly (MNA) Farrukh Habib has filed a petition in the Election Commission, seeking inquiry into the funding of the PML-N and the PPP. On Thursday, PML-N lawyer Jahangir Jadoon and petitioner Farrukh Habib appeared before the committee.

Talking to media outside the ECP, Jadoon said that details of all audited funds of the party had been submitted to the Election Commission. He added that the PML-N did not receive any funding from illicit sources. He accused the PTI members of disrupting the proceedings of the scrutiny committee.

Separately, Farrukh Habib told the media that the PML-N did not have the money trail. “The PML-N is unable to submit copies of identity cards of those who send money from abroad. The Election Commission has to see under its rules whether this is legal money.”

A meeting of the scrutiny committee was also held in the Election Commission to investigate the funding of the PPP. Latif Khosa and Ijaz Rathore appeared before the committee on behalf of the party. The scrutiny committee referred the case to the ECP.

After the meeting, Khosa told reporters that the scrutiny committee should investigate the matter in accordance with the terms of reference (TORs) related to the foreign funding. He added that the petitioner could not provide any evidence regarding the foreign funding of the PPP.

“The scrutiny committee has been meeting for three years. Foreign funding has not been proven. All the PPP funding is from local donors. We did not receive any foreign funding,” Khosa said. “Farrukh Habib could not provide any evidence to the scrutiny committee.”

Khosa said that the PPP wanted change within the constitutional framework. He added that the party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was in touch with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif.

“Each opposition party has its own policy on anti-government protests. The PPP wants a consensus decision regarding the protests against the government,” he said. “The PPP will take a decision within the framework of the Constitution – whether to bring an in-house change or go for fresh elections.