ECP’s body holds Babar responsible for delay in PTI accounts probe

Says if petitioner continues to file applications, scrutiny committee will never be able to complete investigation

ISLAMABAD:

The scrutiny committee has submitted its reply with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the complaint filed by Akbar S Babar wherein the petitioner had challenged the examination body’s decision to keep the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) financial documents secret in the foreign funding case.

The scrutiny panel has held Babar responsible for the delay in probe. Babar is a founding but dissident member of the PTI.

A three-member bench of the ECP led by Punjab member Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi on Tuesday heard the case regarding the provision of record of PTI foreign funding case.

The scrutiny committee and the PTI submitted their replies with the election supervisor on Babar’s request seeking the details of accounts of the ruling party.

The examination body observed that the process of investigation had been slowed down due to the continuous filing of applications by the petitioner. The PTI also opposed handing over the details of its accounts to Babar.

Qureshi observed that if the petitioner continued to file petitions, the scrutiny committee will never be able to complete its investigation.

He maintained that wrong transactions carried out even by one person were enough to prove that they were “prohibited” and added that it was not necessary that Babar would check the transaction of thousands of people.

Ruling party’s lawyer Shah Khawar argued that the petitioner himself was responsible for proving the authentication of his documents. He said the documents submitted by the scrutiny committee could not be made public.

Babar’s counsel contended that they could not trust the “fake” documents submitted by the PTI adding that they wanted to compare the documents of the State Bank of Pakistan and the audit report.

The Punjab member inquired from the PTI counsel why they objected to handing over the documents to Babar. Khawar replied that the commission had to keep in view the law and Supreme Court’s orders.

The ECP adjourned the hearing of the case until April 6.

Later, while talking to media, Babar regretted that he was not being handed over the documents pertaining to the ruling party’s financial accounts.

He said if a timely decision of the case had been made the leadership of the ruling party would have been in the hands of “honest people”. He held the ECP responsible for the delay in the case.

The scrutiny committee has summoned the PTI for investigation in the foreign funding case on Wednesday (today).

The examination body will meet on April 1 to probe the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-) foreign funding case.