Scrutiny panel’s moots to remain in-camera: ECP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has clarified that the scrutiny committee that is probing into foreign funding allegations against 3 major political parties will continue to have in-camera proceedings and that the ECP will conduct an open hearing once the committee submits its report to it.

“The recommendations of the scrutiny committee will be presented before the parties in the ECP’s open hearing of the funding case. After hearing arguments of all sides, the ECP will decide the case on merit,” said the ECP spokesperson in a statement issued on Saturday.

The spokesperson of the polls supervisory body said there is confusion in some circles about open or in-camera proceedings of the foreign funding case.

“The ECP clarifies that it will conduct hearing of the case in public once the scrutiny committee submits its report. However, the proceedings of the scrutiny committee will be held in –camera only in the presence of the parties,” the spokesperson said.

Representatives of three major political parties – the ruling PTI as well as the PML-N and the PPP – on January 18 appeared before the ECP’s scrutiny committee as the ruling and opposition parties accused each other of receiving illegal funds from abroad.

Interestingly, the scrutiny committee meeting took place a day before the 11-party opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – staged a protest outside the ECP headquarters against the alleged delay in a foreign funding case originally filed against the PTI.

Appearing before the committee, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal had rejected that the biggest opposition party ever received any funds from abroad and said the PTI’s attempt to implicate his party in a foreign funding case was like a counter first information report (FIR).

The PTI representative Farrukh Habib had told the committee that the PML-N could not present details of its foreign funds. Latif Khosa, who represented the PPP, had said the PTI had also not presented any evidence about its funds.

PTI's disgruntled founding member Akbar S Babar had accused the ruling party of receiving funds from foreigners. He 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 January 20, Prime Minister Imran Khan put up a robust defence of his party, saying the proceedings of the case should be broadcast live.

“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 had said.

The premier had also reiterated his allegation that several foreign countries had been financing the opposition parties but he could not take their name because of diplomatic niceties.

Article 6(3) of the Political Parties Act, 2002 states that, "any contribution made, directly or indirectly, by any foreign government, multi-national or domestically incorporated public or private company, firm, trade or professional association shall be prohibited and the parties may accept contributions and donations only from individuals".

According to the provision, there is, however, no bar on individuals donating funds to a political party. Interestingly, there is no allegation that the PTI got funds from any other state institution or agency.

The Election Act, 2017 would also not be applicable in the PTI case since the party accounts being scrutinized pertain to the year preceding 2013.