ECP asks panel to expedite funding probe

Orders Punjab to submit schedule of LG polls in 15 days

ISLAMABAD:

The country’s polls supervisory body has ordered a scrutiny committee to expedite its probe into alleged foreign funding of three major political parties of the country.

The scrutiny committee on Wednesday briefed an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) meeting, presided over by Chief Election Commission Sikander Sultan Raja and attended by ECP provincial members, ECP Secretary Dr Akhtar Nazir Warraich and Punjab secretary local governments about the progress made so far on the issue.

According to sources, the ECP expressed concern over delay in the process of scrutiny.

The members of the scrutiny committee told the meeting that the political parties’ lawyers came late in the meetings due to their busy schedules at high courts. The ECP directed the committee to work three days a week and complete the scrutiny process as soon as possible.

Last week, the 11-party opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – announced to stage a sit-in outside the ECP headquarters in order to protest against the ECP’s allegedly inordinate delay in concluding a foreign funding investigation against the ruling PTI.

The PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had accused the ruling party of receiving illegal funds from other countries including Israel, a claim vehemently rejected by the PTI.

On Wednesday, the Punjab government once again failed to intimate the ECP about the dates of the upcoming local government (LG) elections in the country’s biggest province

Expressing frustration over the provincial government’s delay, the ECP noted that the Punjab government is not serious in holding the polls. The polls body directed the provincial government to inform it about the schedule of the LG elections within 15 days.

Earlier, the provincial government sought more time from the ECP for conducting the LG elections. Punjab LG secretary said that the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) – the country’s nerve centre for its anti-Covid initiatives – has recommended postponing the polls in view of the pandemic.

The ECP, however, rejected the excuse as unacceptable. The commission directed the Punjab government to inform the dates of the LG elections within 15 days.

It also asked the provincial government to publish the names of village and neighborhood councils by January 10. Punjab LG secretary later assured the meeting that the names would be published by Jan 10.

The commission will meet again to discuss the LG polls after 15 days.