Last 10 days for ECP panel to probe foreign funding against PTI

Election commission has directed scrutiny committee to complete investigation and submit a report by August 17

ISLAMABAD:

The scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has last 10 days to complete the investigation against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the foreign funding case.

 The ECP panel met on Thursday and reviewed the details of the documents submitted by the ruling party.

 Petitioner Akbar S Babar and PTI counsel Shah Khawar appeared before the scrutiny committee. The election commission had directed the scrutiny committee to complete the investigation and submit a report by August 17.

 The panel will again meet today (Friday) to review the documents submitted by the ruling party.

 Speaking to media outside the ECP office, petitioner Akbar S Babar noted that process of evaluating the documents had started.

 He demanded that those who had reported the audit should be summoned and added that he had not been provided the details of the documents submitted by the PTI.

 Babar maintained that he would never want the investigation duration of the scrutiny committee to be extended.

 “There is a pile of evidences against the PTI. Whatever the decision comes, the matter will go to the Supreme Court,” he said.

 The foreign funding case was last heard by the scrutiny committee on July 23 and had to be put off without any progress as the PTI had once again failed to submit sources and other details of funds received that were ordered in the last meeting.

 Instead of submitting bank statements of its foreign bank accounts in the United States, Britain, Canada and elsewhere, the PTI demanded that the audit be limited to year 2012, excluding the audit of accounts of 2013.

 The terms of reference of the committee mandate it to audit PTI foreign funding for five years — from 2009 to 2013.

 The panel had once again requested the ruling party to submit sources and details of funds demanded by ECP since April 1, 2015 — successive orders the PTI continues to defy.

 In the first week of June, the ECP had directed the committee to submit a status report on the progress in scrutiny of the PTI’s foreign funding within a week.

 Later, in a detailed judgement, August 17 was set as a deadline for submission of a final report.