PDM hands over charter of demand to CEC

Calls for an ‘impartial and just’ decision in foreign funding case

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Wednesday presented its charter of demand to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over the alleged delay in deciding the foreign funding case against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The PDM leaders formally handed over the communiqué to the chief election commissioner (CEC).

A delegation of the 11-party opposition alliance, including Ahsan Iqbal, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Usman Kakar and Kamran Murtaza met the CEC at the ECP Secretariat.

The PDM leaders maintained in the communiqué that the PTI in its written statement had admitted to foreign funding but still the ECP was not issuing a verdict on the matter.

They demanded of the election commission to issue a judgment at the earliest and present the details of PTIs “23 secret accounts” to the petitioner.

They further asked the ECP to keep the proceedings of the scrutiny committee open instead of in-camera so that the members of civil society, media and representatives of PDM could also participate in it.

The charter of demand has been signed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Aftab Sherpao, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and others.

Later, while speaking to media, Ahsan Iqbal said that the application of foreign funding against the PML-N and PPP was like a “cross FIR”.

Referring to the fake accounts, Iqbal said if the NAB and FIA conducted an inquiry against the premier, his accounts would also come to surface just like the ice cream and cracker vendors.

He expressed the hope that the ECP would decide the foreign funding case against the PTI in a transparent manner.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had been on an “NRO” in the foreign funding case for the last six years.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also urged the CEC to “play an impartial role” and called for “just” decision in the case.