ECP rules out public hearing of foreign funding case

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ruled out the public hearing of the foreign funding case and directed its scrutiny committee to continue its proceedings against the ruling PTI for the completion of investigation.

A day earlier, petitioner Akbar S Babar had expressed his lack of confidence in the scrutiny committee over its method of investigation on the “unverified documents” submitted by the ruling party.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had also put up a robust defence of his party saying that the proceedings of the case should be broadcast live.

Commenting on the funding to the opposition parties, the premier repeated his earlier statement saying several countries had been financing them but he could not take their name because of diplomatic niceties.

“There should be an open hearing of the foreign funding case and it should be shown live on TV and the party leaders should also sit and hear the case. This case [proceedings] will let the whole nation know who raised the money properly in this country,” he said.

On Thursday, the ECP directed the scrutiny panel to continue its proceedings in the foreign funding case against the PTI.

The election commission said that the inspection committee would formulate recommendations “comprehensively” and submit them to it.

Describing the PTI foreign funding case as “most important and sensitive”, the ECP noted that deciding the matter on merit was in the “national interest”.

The ECP further said that the hearing of the case was being held in front of the parties concerned and added that the authority or position of the scrutiny committee was that of a joint investigation team.

The commission ruled out the public hearing of the case and maintained that it would forward the recommendations of the scrutiny committee to both the parties in an open hearing.

It further said that the case would soon be decided on merit after hearing both the parties.

In 2014, Akbar S Babar, founding member of the PTI, had filed a petition with the ECP, alleging irregularities in party funds.

He said besides receiving funds from overseas Pakistanis, the PTI had also received funds from foreigners, which was not allowed by the Pakistani law.

In his petition, Babar had stated that limited liability companies were set up in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries to raise funds for the party from overseas Pakistanis, in which the proceeds came from illicit sources.

The PTI claimed that the party did not receive funds from illegal sources as documents of all funds received from abroad were available.

The PTI had approached the Islamabad High Court six times to stay the hearing of the petition in the ECP and had taken the position that the commission did not have the authority to examine the accounts of any party.

The PTI also filed similar petitions against the PPP and PML-Nin the ECP.

A special scrutiny committee was set up to look into the matter.